magnetic stimulation of the human nervous system by k.r. mills

BOOK REVIEW

Magnetic Stimulation of the HumanNervous Systemby K.R. Mills, 333 pp, ill., Oxford, UK, Oxford UniversityPress, 1999, $59

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in mag-netic brain stimulation both as a research tool and a po-tential treatment for neurological and psychiatric diseases.This book is a comprehensive review of the techniques andapplication of magnetic stimulation in humans. It beginswith an interesting account of the history of magneticstimulation, followed by a review of its biophysics andsafety. The next two chapters cover the motor effects ofmagnetic brain stimulation in normal subjects, includingspecial techniques such as paired-pulse, brainstem, andcerebellar stimulation. This is followed by chapters onstimulation of the peripheral nerve, the visual system, andrepetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, and on thepractical aspects of magnetic brain stimulation, which willbe useful for someone starting to use the technique. Theremainder of the book covers brain plasticity and a large

number of neurological diseases including neuropathy,spinal cord diseases, stroke, and movement disorders.

Professor Mills has done an excellent job in providinga comprehensive review of the topic. All the chapters arewell written and are of exceptional quality. They are con-cisely written yet comprehensive and well referenced. Inareas such as stroke or Parkinson’s disease in which manystudies have been performed, the literature is well synthe-sized. The tables and illustrations are well chosen.

I have only minor criticisms of the book. The effects oflow-frequency repetitive magnetic stimulation were omit-ted. The model of basal ganglia with direct and indirectpathways was presented as established rather than as ahypothesis that will certainly need modification. The bookcontains references up to 1998. With rapid advance in thefield, some of the discussion seems rather dated.

Overall, this is an excellent book and will be useful toboth experts and novices in magnetic stimulation. Profes-sor Mills should be congratulated on this scholarly work. Ihighly recommended the book to anyone interested inmagnetic stimulation.

Robert Chen, MB, BChir, FRCP(C)© 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Book Review MUSCLE & NERVE February 2001 299