Grosset DG, Grosset KA, Okun MS, et al. Parkinson’s Disease. Clinician’s Desk Reference. Manson Publishing 2009, 160 pages, 100 illustrations, £40.00.

This 176-page monograph on Parkinson’s Disease and related movement disorders is geared to clinicians who deal with these disorders. The graphics in the book allow one to quickly grasp the key features of these diseases including the structural, biochemical and genetic factors involved. The pathophysiology causing disease progression is outlined in bullet points (that is in fact the structure of the entire book), which is not the traditional writing of medical text but is a style gaining increasing favor. Patient cartoons and well designed block diagrams facilitate learning. Improvement in clinical evaluation and appropriate testing is described and shows how this has caused a decrease in the number of false positive diagnoses of Parkinson’s Disease. The chapter on Diagnostic Testing and Neuroimaging is brief and focuses on structural changes with MR and functional neuroimaging with SPECT and PET. Material in subsequent chapters deal with drug treatment, cognitive impairments in PD, psychiatric manifestations, behavioral dysfunction, the role of surgical treatment and deep brain stimulation, and important supportive care such as issues related to nutrition and language/speech therapy.

For those with a particular interest in Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinson plus syndromes this book will bolster their knowledge and provide a solid review of the clinical aspects of these diseases.