Neuroscience at a Glance, 3rd edn Roger A. Barker and Stephen Barasi (with neuropharmacology by M. J. Neal)

Abstract

The second edition of this book came out some 5 years ago. Since then developments in neuroscience has necessitated an updated third edition. An authoritative text coupled with a wealth of illustrations makes it a delightful read. The subject matter is covered in 60 chapters grouped into five distinct parts. Each chapter is two pages long but crammed full of information attractively presented. One must go over each chapter slowly taking in the information and deliberating over it rather than gallop through the book. For each chapter the page on the left-hand side carries a fully annotated illustration in colour with the corresponding description on the facing right-hand page. The focus is on the core material and yet the rapidly expanding field of neuroscience is well covered including molecular biology of ion channels and neurotransmitters. The text is supplemented with relevant MRI and CT scans as observed in clinical disorders such that the clinical context is maintained throughout. Three chapters devoted to neuro-chemical disorders help to summarise recent knowledge in neuro psychiatry, as well as current approaches to treatment. Clinical examination of the nervous system, laboratory studies including nerve/muscle and brain biopsies and imaging of the central nervous system are described in a separate chapter each. At the end there is a section for self-assessment containing 15 case studies with questions and answers all drawn from the senior author's (R.A.B.) experience. The case studies describe clinical presentation and results of investigations carried out, whilst the answers provide the diagnosis and detailed relevance of the clinical data. An accompanying website provides more case studies as well as other learning resources.