Overview

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.

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9781932594379

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Reviews

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 --Joseph LeDoux 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 --Dr. Mehmet Oz 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 --Dr. Mehmet Oz Library Journal This book tells the story of heroic people -- some on operating tables and others wielding scalpels and drills -- and the lengths they've gone to in seeking to relieve devastating brain disorders. . . . Deep-brain stimulation has gained approval for Parkinson's treatment, and more recently for obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's currently being tested for other conditions in which medication may fail, including depression, Tourette's syndrome, epilepsy, pain and persistent vegetative state. It's a science still in the making and is well-described here.--Science News--Dr. Mehmet Oz Science News

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 --Dr. Mehmet Oz

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 -- Dr. Mehmet Oz

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 <br>--Dr. Mehmet Oz

Author Information

Jamie Talan has reported on neuroscience for Newsday for more than twenty years and is now a science-writer-in-residence at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research. Richard Firstman is the author or coauthor of several books, including Men of Steel, Dr. Folkman's War, and the forthcoming A Criminal Injustice. Together Talan and Firstman coauthored The Death of Innocents, winner of the Edgar Award.

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