Fiber Pathways of the Brain, by Jeremy D. Schmahmann and Deepak N. Pandya. 2006. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 654 pp., $135.00 (HB).
This finely detailed and beautifully illustrated volume summarizes an impressive body of work, the authors' detailed study of corticocortical and corticosubcortical connections of the rhesus monkey cerebral cortex. An introductory historical account of white matter structure and organization is followed by a presentation of the authors' experimental approach that allowed them to chart fiber systems from all regions of the cerebral cortex. The constituents of the cerebral white matter and the organization of the fiber tracts are presented through cases presented on a single template brain, that facilitates comparison of locations for the different fiber pathways. The result is a comprehensive atlas of cerebral white matter. A section on clinical relevance is included with discussion of neurobehavioral effects in patients with white matter lesions. The volume concludes with a discussion of anatomy of the cerebral hemisphere fiber pathways and the “putative functional properties and their roles in a more general view of brain organization” (p. 6).
Pediatric Neurology: Principles and Practice (Fourth Edition). Kenneth F. Swaiman, Stephen Ashwal, and Donna M. Ferriero (Eds.). 2006. Philadelphia, PA: Mosby Elsevier, Volume 1: 1–1180 pp., Volume 2: 1181–2408 pp., $399.00 (HB).
This comprehensive two-volume revision of the 1999 third edition includes new and revised chapters making it a valuable desk reference about clinical child neurology. Updated topic areas include neurogenetics, neuropsychopharmacology, neurorehabilitation ethics, newly identified diseases, and the Internet and child neurology.
A Textbook of Neuroanatomy. by Maria A. Patestas and Leslie P. Gartner. 2006. Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, 454 pp., $84.95 (PB).
The authors employ a number of teaching techniques to motivate students about central nervous system anatomy and basic physiology. Clinical relevance is conveyed through case presentation. A website (www.blackwellpublishing.com/patestas) presents illustrations and animations of key processes.
Neurogenic Disorders of Language: Theory Driven Clinical Practice, by Laura L. Murray and Heather M. Clark. 2006. Clifton Park, NY: Thomson Delmar Learning, 518pp., $54.95 (PB).
This book is written for speech language pathologists and related health care professionals caring for and managing adults with brain damage due to illness, accident, or progressive disease.