DESCRIPTION

The is the second edition of a clinical textbook on neurological examination. The first edition was published in 2021. The update includes a chapter on Basic Neuroanatomy (Chapter 2). Another section, called Investigations (Part X) which goes in-depth on certain neurological procedures such as lumbar punctures, EMGs, EEG, TCDs etc. The book uses colored pictures, diagrams, and graphs to illustrate its points.

PURPOSE

The books' purpose is to assist the reader in understanding the neurologic clinical examination in order to localize the lesion and provide a cursory understanding of the anatomy. The book is authored by one individual, Vinit Suri, who is a neurologist in India, who, by his biography is a Senior Consultant Neurologist in Delhi with decades of experience.

The book's purpose/ objective is not new, as there are other books like this one in circulation. Similar books include Berkowitz's "Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy" which is in its 2nd edition and Campbell and Barohn's "Dejong's The Neurologic Examination" which is currently in its 8th edition.

AUDIENCE

According to the book's preface it is written for medical students pursuing Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Internal Medicine as a career. In addition, it is also geared towards the practicing general neurologist and neurosurgery consultants. While the addition of the Investigations section may appeal to specialists in epilepsy or movement disorders, I think that a more specialized book would be needed.

Dr. Suri, with his decades of neurology experience seems to be a credible authority on the topic of general neurology. According to PubMed, he has had 15 authorships and co-authorships on a wide range of neurological topics. The journals that are published are quite regional and mostly case based. Overall, while Dr. Suri may not have extensive international experience, which could potentially limit his ability to provide a global perspective on current neurological information, such a perspective is not essential for the scope and purpose of the book he has published.

BOOK CONTENT / FEATURES

The book offers several key components, namely tables (seems like they were made with a spreadsheet editor such as Excel and color pictures and diagrams.

Firstly, structure and formatting of the book is an improvement upon the first edition. The first edition was formatted in two columns per page. While the formatting may lead to a smaller book, it compromised on the readability, particularly when tables are added. It is a much better reading experience when tables are lengthened to a whole page in portrait format. An example is page 220 tables 23.1 and 23.2 where the tables are extended the length of the page, an improvement from the same charts in page 75 of the first edition. Secondly, numbering the tables is an improvement from the first edition and sorely needed when going back to reference.

The book is lacking a glossary and index, something that is seen in comparable books such as "Clinical Neurology and Neuroanatomy" and "DeJong's The Neurologic Examination". This may compromise the usability of the book as a quick resource.

ASSESSMENT / COMPARISON

Overall, from a formatting standpoint, the book is an improvement from the first edition. It can be a useful resource for the medical student, the neurology resident, or the general neurologist. However, as mentioned in the above section, it lags behind several similar titles. It's usefulness as a quick resource would improved with an index.