Five Books on Ataxia

The fact that five books on ataxia have appeared in the last year and a half must mean something, but what? And what does the ataxia researcher clinician do faced with $900 worth of new books? Well, one or two of the five decisions are made easier by the focus of the volumes. The book on serotonin is for those who are interested in that particular neurotransmitter and its possible use as a treatment for ataxia via a precursor L5-hydroxytryptophane (L5HTP). It is a report of the 1991 Lyon, France, conference on serotonin and contains a thorough study of the raphe nuclei, serotonin, and the cerebellum and the rationale of L5HTP treatment of ataxia. This book will not, however, solve the question of the effectiveness of that treatment, since the last word remains to be said. But for those interested in brain-stem and cerebellar neurotransmitters, the book is a must.