Every picture is worth a thousand words
– Anonymous
Every picture tells a story, don’t it?
– Rod Stewart
This review is an experiment. In the days of research teams and
multicentred trials, book reviews typically depend on single authors.
This review represents a collective effort of colleagues from various
disciplines at Children’s and Women’s Health Centre in
Vancouver, to bring various expert opinions to bear on a single
volume. We hope that readers benefit from this collective review,
and we encourage colleagues from other academic centres to replicate
our experiment.
Without visible images of neuropathology, psychiatric disorders
have been a fertile ground for stigma and bizarre propositions,
as evidenced by etiologic theories involving “schizophrenogenic”
and “refrigerator” mothers. Neuroimaging will clearly
establish psychiatric disorders as being “medical,” thereby
bringing these disorders into the mainstream in terms of public
attitude and, perhaps more importantly, funding for treating these
problems.
This book is a 400-page progress report on functional neuroimaging
in child psychiatry. The authors review most major syndromes, including
autism, schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety, Tourette syndrome,
ADHD, and eating disorders. Regrettably, there is no traumatic brain
injury discussion. All major functional imaging modalities are covered,
including positron emission tomography (PET), single photon emission
computed tomography (SPECT), functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and magnetoencephalograph
(MEG). Ethical issues and interfaces with neuropsychological testing,
including the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery
(CANTAB), are reviewed by leading authorities.
This volume does not immediately apply to clinical practice. It
is essential reading, however, for researchers and those clinicians
with inquiring minds who want to catch a glimpse of the future.
Be warned that this volume is scientific and technically oriented.
Eating Disorders
Section review by Pierre Leichner, MD, FRCP, Vancouver, British
Columbia
Some parts of the text are out of date in regard to the neuroendocrine
aspects of eating disorders. However, the neuroimaging discussion
is informative and up-to-date.
Radiology
Chapter review by Ken Poskitt, MD, FRCP, Vancouver, British
Columbia
The initial chapters of imaging techniques are superficial but
more than adequate to educate investigators on the strengths and
weaknesses of the different functional models. I delighted in the
reviews of psychiatric disorders. The summary of the current state
of knowledge and the proposals for future work in pediatrics are
state of the art.
The chapters on the future, including the issue of debates surrounding
plasticity and the discussion of CANTAB and its potential uses in
pediatric functional imaging, were of particular interest to me.”
Autism
Chapter review by Pratibha Reebye, MD, FRCP, Vancouver, British
Columbia
The chapter on autism is the most concise, up-to-date description
of advances made by neuroimaging techniques in the field of autism.
The author, very well known for his studies with young children
with autism, has excelled in synthesizing a very difficult but important
pool of information. In summary, this chapter is an accumulation
of the wealth of information in the area of functional imaging research
with autistic populations.
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Chapter review by Margaret Weiss, MD, FRCP, Vancouver, British
Columbia
The chapter on attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
provides a complete and well-considered review of current studies
regarding the neurobiology of ADHD and imaging studies, including
fMRI, PET, and SPEC studies, which are cited in both adults and
children using specific tasks. Recent speculation concerning the
role of the cerebellum in this disorder is considered.
In summary, this is an easily read, up-to-date report of brain
imaging in both children and adults who have ADHD.
Tourette syndrome
Chapter review by Roger Freeman, MD, FRCP, Vancouver, British
Columbia
Bradley Peterson and Prakash Thomas, in their chapter on Tourette
syndrome, have provided a detailed and excellent summary of present
knowledge and, in addition, provide some interesting speculations
on the comorbidity relations among Tourette syndrome, ADHD, and
obsessive–compulsive disorder.
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