Book review: Fundamentals of Psychopharmacology, 2nd Edn. Brian E. Leonard. Wiley, Chichester, 1998....
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perhaps should) have been less partisan, avoided exces- sive detail and jargon and hit a wider target audience with these messages more eectively. Overall, as an old age psychiatrist, I consider it worth reading—though I would recommend a strong cup of coee beforehand. DAVID LAWLEY Bootham Park Hospital, York Fundamentals of Psychopharmacology, 2nd Edn. BRIAN E. LEONARD. Wiley, Chichester, 1998. No. of pages: 394. In a book aimed at a diverse audience of pharmacology students, researchers and psychiatrists, one would expect some unevenness in accessibility and depth of coverage of topics. This is certainly true of this second edition, whose first chapter on functional neuroanatomy is also its least successful. The information is superficial, particularly when compared with the clarity and detail of the rest of the book. Also disappointing is the lack of depth in its discussion of topics such as treatment resistance and the dierent pharmacodynamic eects of the newer anti- depressants. There is nevertheless a great deal that is worth- while reading. There is extensive coverage of treatments for a range of problems usually not well covered in standard texts, for example treatment of the epilepsies and Parkinson’s disease. The author points out the abuse potential of medication at various points and the chapter on drugs of abuse is commendably clear. The reader comes to appreciate not only the pharmacology of illicit drugs but also why they are so appealing. Much of the chapter on drug treatments for Alzheimer’s disease is eectively obsolete, but there is a worthwhile discussion of future possibilities for drug development. The style of this book is surprisingly readable given the subject matter. Diagrams are informative and there are very few indigestible tables and lists. Although it does not discuss the latest treatment options as compre- hensively as one might hope, the practising psychiatrist will find this a useful reference source. PAUL HOPPER Western Community Hospital Southampton Depression: Neurobiological, Psychopathological and Therapeutic Advances. Vol. 3 in Wiley Series on Clinical and Neurobiological Advances in Psychiatry. Edited by A. HONIG and H. M. VAN PRAAG (series editors J. A. DEN BOER and H. G. M. WESTENBERG). Wiley, Chichester, 1997. No. of pages: 658. Unfortunately, this book had been sitting on my desk for a long time. Faced with a wait at an airport prior to giving a talk on the treatment of depression with anxiety, I took the opportunity of dipping into it. It would be easy to start with the platitude that being multiauthored it is variable in standard. To an extent this is true. However, its six sections and 37 chapters genuinely contain much useful, interesting and up-to-date informa- tion. For example, I finally found the answer to a question I was faced with in my Membership exam. I was asked about the treatment of neuroleptic malig- nancy syndrome. Having gone through all of the usual drug treatments, the examiner kept pushing for another treatment. Max Fink (chapter 23) supplied the answer in his lucid description of the clinical indications for ECT. Not only this, I also found several snippets of information of particular use to the lecture I was imminently due to give, for example in a well- written chapter on the comorbidity of depression and panic by Griez and Ovebeek (chapter 4) and a comprehensive and thought-provoking review of ‘Anxio- lytics as antidepressants’ by van Megen and colleagues (chapter 25). Verhey and Honig (chapter 5) take on an awesome task in describing the diagnosis, epidemiology, course, prognosis, occurrence in populations with additional diagnoses (dementia, cerebrovascular disease, myo- cardial infarcts and Parkinson’s disease) and treatment of depression in the elderly. An extension into two or three chapters would have been preferable. However, they make a good job of describing the pitfalls of this area for clinician and researcher alike and highlight the glaring lack of good-quality research. One area disappointingly left out was a discussion of the role of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis in depression, a subject receiving increasing coverage in the literature. This deficiency aside, I feel that this book would be a useful acquisition for anyone wanting detailed and generally up-to-date information on the subject of depression. R. HAMISH MCALLISTER-WILLIAMS University of Newcastle upon Tyne 498 BOOK REVIEWS # 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. INT. J. GERIAT. PSYCHIATRY, VOL. 13: 497–498 (1998)
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Transcript of Book review: Fundamentals of Psychopharmacology, 2nd Edn. Brian E. Leonard. Wiley, Chichester, 1998....
perhaps should) have been less partisan, avoided exces-sive detail and jargon and hit a wider target audience withthese messages more e�ectively.
Overall, as an old age psychiatrist, I consider it worthreadingÐthough I would recommend a strong cup ofco�ee beforehand.
DAVID LAWLEY
Bootham Park Hospital, York
Fundamentals of Psychopharmacology, 2nd Edn. BRIAN
E. LEONARD. Wiley, Chichester, 1998. No. of pages: 394.
In a book aimed at a diverse audience of pharmacologystudents, researchers and psychiatrists, one would expectsome unevenness in accessibility and depth of coverage oftopics. This is certainly true of this second edition, whose®rst chapter on functional neuroanatomy is also its leastsuccessful. The information is super®cial, particularlywhen compared with the clarity and detail of the rest ofthe book. Also disappointing is the lack of depth in itsdiscussion of topics such as treatment resistance and thedi�erent pharmacodynamic e�ects of the newer anti-depressants.
There is nevertheless a great deal that is worth-while reading. There is extensive coverage of treatmentsfor a range of problems usually not well covered instandard texts, for example treatment of the epilepsies
and Parkinson's disease. The author points out theabuse potential of medication at various points and thechapter on drugs of abuse is commendably clear. Thereader comes to appreciate not only the pharmacology ofillicit drugs but also why they are so appealing. Much ofthe chapter on drug treatments for Alzheimer's disease ise�ectively obsolete, but there is a worthwhile discussionof future possibilities for drug development.The style of this book is surprisingly readable given
the subject matter. Diagrams are informative and thereare very few indigestible tables and lists. Although itdoes not discuss the latest treatment options as compre-hensively as one might hope, the practising psychiatristwill ®nd this a useful reference source.
PAUL HOPPER
Western Community HospitalSouthampton
Depression: Neurobiological, Psychopathological andTherapeutic Advances. Vol. 3 in Wiley Series on Clinicaland Neurobiological Advances in Psychiatry. Editedby A. HONIG and H. M. VAN PRAAG (series editorsJ. A. DEN BOER and H. G. M. WESTENBERG). Wiley,Chichester, 1997. No. of pages: 658.
Unfortunately, this book had been sitting on my deskfor a long time. Faced with a wait at an airport prior togiving a talk on the treatment of depression with anxiety,I took the opportunity of dipping into it. It would beeasy to start with the platitude that being multiauthoredit is variable in standard. To an extent this is true.However, its six sections and 37 chapters genuinelycontain much useful, interesting and up-to-date informa-tion. For example, I ®nally found the answer to aquestion I was faced with in my Membership exam. Iwas asked about the treatment of neuroleptic malig-nancy syndrome. Having gone through all of the usualdrug treatments, the examiner kept pushing for anothertreatment. Max Fink (chapter 23) supplied the answerin his lucid description of the clinical indicationsfor ECT. Not only this, I also found several snippetsof information of particular use to the lecture Iwas imminently due to give, for example in a well-
written chapter on the comorbidity of depression andpanic by Griez and Ovebeek (chapter 4) and acomprehensive and thought-provoking review of `Anxio-lytics as antidepressants' by van Megen and colleagues(chapter 25).Verhey and Honig (chapter 5) take on an awesome
task in describing the diagnosis, epidemiology, course,prognosis, occurrence in populations with additionaldiagnoses (dementia, cerebrovascular disease, myo-cardial infarcts and Parkinson's disease) and treatmentof depression in the elderly. An extension into two orthree chapters would have been preferable. However,they make a good job of describing the pitfalls of thisarea for clinician and researcher alike and highlight theglaring lack of good-quality research.One area disappointingly left out was a discussion of
the role of the hypothalamic±pituitary±adrenal axis indepression, a subject receiving increasing coverage in theliterature. This de®ciency aside, I feel that this bookwould be a useful acquisition for anyone wantingdetailed and generally up-to-date information on thesubject of depression.
R. HAMISH MCALLISTER-WILLIAMS
University of Newcastle upon Tyne
498 BOOK REVIEWS
# 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. INT. J. GERIAT. PSYCHIATRY, VOL. 13: 497±498 (1998)
