Aminoff’s Diagnosis of Neuromuscular Disorders, 4th Edition

By: Jeffrey W. Ralph, MD; Francis O. Walker, MD; Michael J. Aminoff, MD, DSc, FRCP

ISBN: 9780323871068

Publication Date: March 31, 2024

Reviewer: Patricia J Graese, MD (Thomas Jefferson University)

Description

This book is a clinical guide to approaching neuromuscular disorders through pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management. The book is mostly in text format; however, it has many pictures, tables, and graphs to easily find highlights.

The accompanying website has the complete eBook as well as videos that complement examples of pathology. The previous edition was published in 1998.

Purpose

The authors purposes for this book include reviewing electromyography and its use in diagnosing neuromuscular disorders, outline the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of neuromuscular disorders, and focusing on the updates on the molecular, genetic and ultrasound that have been made since the last edition, 25 years ago. It is an excellent supplement to any practicing neurologist who is either a trainee or takes care of any neuromuscular disorder patients. The book accomplishes its goal of being informational, comprehensive, yet still easily readable with highlights. The online version is excellent for those who prefer eBooks; the videos also add an additional element of education that text alone cannot accomplish.

Audience

The book states its target audience as neuromuscular specialists, neurologists, physiatrists, clinical neurophysiologists, ultrasonographers, rehabilitation specialists, and trainees of these fields. This is a fair assessment, the book targets clinicians more than basic scientists. This book does an excellent job of meeting its objectives and is written at a level appropriate for the audience. All three authors are renowned neuromuscular experts with multiple previous texts and publications.

Features

The book includes five parts. The first is a brief introduction into diagnosis, imaging, biopsies, and genetic evaluation of neuromuscular disorders. The second dives into anatomy, electromyography principles and nerve conduction principles. The last three sections are broken up into clinical review of neuromuscular disorders by generalized peripheral, focal peripheral, and central nervous systems, respectively. The second section is most targeted to practicing neuromuscular specialists who frequently use the diagnostic tools of ultrasound (US), electromyography (EMG), nerve conduction study (NCS), and genetics as a review. The last three sections are particularly helpful to trainees, general neurologists, and early practicing neuromuscular specialists as an excellent review of the clinical disorders. The text is easily readable, and the formatting with many pictures and graphs makes it visually pleasing.

The organization of material makes it easier to grasp. The pictures are colorful and of high quality; there is also a comprehensive glossary, appendix, and list of videos available on the eBook. The book is comprehensive; if it included very rare diseases to be complete it would take away from the easy readability.

Website Features

The accompanying eBook is a complete replica of the physical text. It also features hyperlinks to quickly jump through the table of contents and text as well as an interactive glossary. It includes links to the videos that supplement the text and the ability to zoom in on images and to bookmark pages.

It allows for the creation of notes and flashcards as well as a read aloud option. The Elsevier website is extremely easy to use and can be accessed within seconds with a code provided in the book. These features are also available on smartphones and tablets, either via a browser or an app.

Assessment

Overall, this physical book and accompanying eBook are an excellent study aid for any practicing neurologist. It is particularly helpful for trainee neurologists and those starting off in their neuromuscular specialty. It is comprehensive, yet easy to read with the intended audience clear and appropriately addressed. For myself, I intend to use it as the main neuromuscular source for training in boards and feel confident that it will cover every topic needed. There are many books available that provide a clinical guide to neuromuscular disorders. However, the accompanying eBook with videos and the expertise of the authors make this one stand out. Only one other book, Electromyography and Neuromuscular Disorders, 4th Edition, Preston and Shapiro (Elsevier, 2020) seems to have similar unique properties and is slightly more expensive. The field has rapidly grown since the previous edition was published about 25 years ago, and this new edition is necessary to update new knowledge, particularly in the fields of ultrasound and genetics.

©Doody’s Review Service, 2024, Patricia J Graese, MD (Thomas Jefferson University), Doody’s Score: 100 – 5 Stars!

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