This book provides clinical cases that lead at first to the determination of the site of lesion, through neuroanatomy approach and neurophysiology analysis, then to the diagnosis of the disease.

It is divided into nine sections. Each section is built into two parts: case presentation, and lesion localization, and at the end of the section is placed an answers–questions part with clear comments and explanations about the replies. The first section concerns muscle weakness, chronic, intermittent, acute, localized and generalized. The second section is about pain, chronic, subacute, in an extremity or a complete limb. The third section deals with peripheral nervous system dysfunctions, with associated motor and pain symptoms, chronic and acute. The fourth section presents autonomic nervous system troubles, such as breathing difficulties, abdominal pain, muscles cramps and headache. The fifth section is about chronic and acute injuries of the spinal cord and roots, with mixed signs of pain, weakness, sensory and visceral signs. The sixth section concerns the brainstem, with complicated but clearly presented anatomoclinical relevant signs. The seventh section contains ten cases of cranial nerves injuries, acute in eight cases and chronic in 2. The eighth section presents four cases about cerebellum, basal nuclei and hypothalamus. The ninth section is about cerebral hemispheres acute and chronic injuries.

An appendix shows clear schematic drawings related to the neuroanatomy, and the 11 figures (simple or multiple) are called by numbers in the text of the different sections. A glossary provides the definition of most of the neurological signs that have been evoked in the clinical cases. At least, an alphabetical index allows a quick access to a symptom or a neuroanatomical structure. The presentation is didactic and supports the logical reflection in neurology: motor signs, sensory signs, combined symptoms, autonomic signs, are to be searched and the association will lead to the diagnosis of localization of the neurological disease.

The authors are DJ Gould, professor of Neuroscience, and GA Patino, assistant professor in Neurology, in Rochester, Michigan. Their book is not a textbook of neuroanatomy, or a precise of neurophysiology, but a concrete approach of the diagnosis in neurology, in chronic and acute conditions, through a logical clinical examination based on a strong neuroanatomical knowledge. The case-based approach associated with questions will be useful for students and practitioners, for a better understanding and memorization of both the neuroanatomy and the neurological pathologies.

F. Duparc