Disturbances of the Mind
Cambridge University Press, 11/5/2009
EAN 9780521509664, ISBN10: 0521509661
Hardcover, 364 pages, 22.8 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm
Language: English
Sergei Korsakoff, Alois Alzheimer, James Parkinson, Hans Asperger and other eminent scientists, are all names which have become synonymous with a disease, a syndrome, or an autistic disorder. Although the names of these psychiatrists and neurologists are familiar, we often know little about the individuals themselves and the circumstances surrounding their discoveries. What exactly did they discover, and who were their patients? Douwe Draaisma expertly reconstructs the lives of these and eight other 'names' from the science of mind and brain. Disturbances of the Mind provides a fascinating, illuminating, and at times touching insight into the history of brain research. Thanks to Draaisma's unerring eye and elegant, engaging style, the case histories of Asperger, Bonnet, Capgras, Clérambault, Korsakoff and Gilles de la Tourette syndromes; Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases; the areas of Broca and Brodmann; Jackson's epilepsy; and the Gage matrix are all brought to life and transformed into unforgettable tales.
Introduction
not the Draaisma syndrome
1. Towards dusk the images appear
Bonnet syndrome
2. A tormenting round of tremors
Parkinson's disease
3. Phineas Gage's posthumous stroll
the Gage matrix
4. The Celestine Prophesy
Broca's area
5. Sparks from a Leyden jar
Jackson's epilepsy
6. Siberian brandy
Korsakoff syndrome
7. Go to hell, idiot! Gilles de la Tourette syndrome
8. A labyrinth of tangles
Alzheimer's disease
9. The Mercator of neurology
Brodmann's areas
10. The headquarters of madness
Clérambault syndrome
11. A cup of tea for the doppelgänger
Capgras syndrome
12. Little professors
Asperger syndrome
13. The Cardan suspension of science.