Laboratory Medicine in Psychiatry and Behavioral Science

The purpose of the book is to identify and discuss theclinical usefulness of laboratory tests used for psychiatric or behavioralhealth care. This is a worthy objective well met by this edition.

Thebook contains three major sections: a listing and discussion of laboratorytests, clinical diseases and conditions, and screening and monitoring ofpsychotropic medications. It includes a clear and concise introductiontouting the basic principles of laboratory medicine (e.g., when to test).The book maintains a standardized format throughout all sections, includingkey aspects presented in tables. Readers can easily find a test/disease orcondition/psychotropic medication of interest, with a quick glance toidentify relevant information. In the introductory section on GeneticTesting, it would be useful to note that informed consent may be required,as such testing can inform family members in addition to the index patient.The book includes five appendices reviewing useful and basic information onother important issues (e.g., EKG assessments and tips for readingneuroimages).

This book is a very useful resource for psychiatristsand behavioral health professionals. It is valuable for readers seeking auser-friendly reference for which laboratory test to use for particularclinical psychiatric or behavioral health conditions, and how to interpretthe results in the clinical context of individual patients.

Sandra A. Jacobson, M.D., is a Research Associate Professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine–Phoenix and the Banner Family Medicine Geriatric Fellowship Program in Sun City, Arizona.

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