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In the preface Dr. Tower has written that he aims to present "a report of progress in our understanding of the [neurochemical] mechanisms responsible for seizure processes," designed "with clinicians, students, and investigators in mind." He has succeeded admirably.
There are chapters on cerebral oxidative metabolism, cerebral amino acid metabolism and vitamin B6, and cerebral electrolytes and transmitters. In each chapter the author first presents what is known of the normal metabolic activities of the brain, followed by a detailed exposition of these metabolic processes in seizure states as learned from in vivo and in vitro study in both animals and man. Though the material is detailed and complex, Dr. Tower presents it with unusual clarity. The discussion of the stages of glucose metabolism, for example, might well serve as an example for other authors in the field.
These sections are followed by an examination of the likely mechanisms