Anyone who practices personal injury litigation will, eventually, become involved in cases in which neurological injuries are alleged. It is important for practitioners on both sides of the litigation fence to familiarize themselves with the science behind these injuries. An accurate, even-handed, and understandable source of information is essential to investigating these mostly complex issues. Medical and Legal Aspects of Neurology is accurate, even-handed, and understandable. It is a good source of information and a good starting point for a lawyer to investigate the intricacies of neurologic injuries.

There are 21 chapters in this book. Among the issues addressed are diagnostic testing, chronic pain, somatization, symptom magnification, traumatic brain injury, seizures, headaches, movement disorders, spine and nerve root disorders, and the brain and higher cortical functions. In short, a lot of information is crammed into this rather small book.

No book of this size can adequately address, in detail, the myriad issues that are tackled here. For instance, the author mentions in the chapter on traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) that "the presence of the [epsilon] 4 allele of the apoliprotien E gene is associated with poorer outcome after brain injury." To support this proposition, he cites to an article published in 1999 in Neurology. The article cited does stand for the proposition stated, but attorneys who litigate TBI cases know that this is a very controversial area of medicine.

The author acknowledges the inherent impossibility of covering every detail of every aspect of neurology in a one-volume work and aims to make this book accessible to lawyers by highlighting topics likely to have legal significance. The burden of digging deeper into the medicine is up to the reader. After receiving this book to review, I found myself referring to it from time to time to refresh my recollection on certain issues. Perhaps that is the best indication of the value of this book.