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This title is no longer available from this publisher at this time. To let the publisher know you are interested in the title, please email bv-help@uchicago.edu.
There are disorders that defy treatment with prescribed pharmaceuticals: a man’s hands shake so hard that he cannot hold anything; a woman is mired in severe inescapable depression. For these patients and others, an alternative is emerging: deep brain stimulation. In this fascinating and timely investigation, well-known science writer Jamie Talan explains a cutting-edge medical development that is surprising and impressing researchers around the world.
More than 40,000 people worldwide have undergone deep brain stimulation, which involves implanting electrodes in the brain that are connected to a device similar to a pacemaker. With compelling profiles of patients and an introduction to doctors and scientists who are pioneering the research, Talan describes the ways in which deep brain stimulation has produced promising results in the treatment of diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and dystonia—as well as the ethical issues that have arisen in the course of this research.
Science writer Jamie Talan shared the 1998 Edgar Award with Richard Firstman for best nonfiction for The Death of Innocents, a story of forensic science that was also a New York Times Notable Book of the Year. Talan covered neuroscience for Newsday for more than twenty years and is currently science writer-in-residence at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in New York.
“Jamie Talan puts her award-winning science writing skills to good use in telling the fascinating story of deep brain stimulation and the hope that offers in treating maladies of mind and brain.”—Joseph LeDoux, author of The Emotional Brain and Synaptic Self
“Deep brain stimulation opens a new horizon of therapies for many of the chronic brain ailments that trouble humanity. Gifted science writer Jamie Talan takes us through the cautionary tale of its evolution, while showcasing the promise and pitfalls of modern medical technology.” —Dr. Mehmet Oz, author of YOU: The Owner's Manual: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
"In a unique and cogent treatment of the surgical technique called deep brain stimulation (DBS), award-winning science writer Talan summarizes the history of brain-based medicine beginning in the late 19th century. Better understanding of the mind-body relationship, improved imaging techniques, and advances in surgery make DBS possible today. Surgeons can implant battery-powered electrodes into targeted brain regions of a patient who is awake and responsive. The technique can help people suffering from severe Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, Tourette’s syndrome, or epilepsy. Those with chronic pain or minimal consciousness may also benefit. The outcome can be remarkable, but Talan reminds readers that DBS is a complicated procedure requiring the utmost patience and persistence because improvement may not occur or may be delayed. Ideally, a DBS team should consist of a neurosurgeon, a neurologist, a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and an ethicist. Chapter notes and a list of resources provide avenues for further research. An excellent choice for large public, health-oriented, or academic libraries."—Library Journal
Part One: Parkinson’s Disease, The Mother Lode
Chapter 1 Breaking Ground: 100 Years of Research
Chapter 2 “Coop, the King”: Controversy on the Frontier
Chapter 3 Finding the Problem in Parkinson’s
Chapter 4 The French Connection
Part Two: Pioneering with Deep Brain Stimulation
Chapter 5 Learning from the Leads: Dystonia
Chapter 6 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: DBS for psychiatry
Chapter 7 DBS Teams Take on Depression
Chapter 8 Tourette Syndrome
Chapter 9 Battling Epilepsy
Chapter 10 The Hardest Cases: Pain and Minimal Consciousness
Part Three: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead
Chapter 11 Patients, Parameters, and Risks
Chapter 12 Ethics and the Future
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