A molecule away from madness : tales of the hijacked brain Cover Image

A molecule away from madness : tales of the hijacked brain / Sara Manning Peskin.

Summary:

"A neurologist regales readers with extraordinary stories of the brain under siege. Our brains are the most complex machines known to humankind, but they have an Achilles heel: The very molecules that allow us to exist can also sabotage our minds. Here are true accounts of unruly molecules and the diseases that form in their wake, from total loss of inhibitions to florid psychosis to compulsive lying. Cognitive neurologist Sara Manning Peskin demystifies the most curious neurological phenomena through the perspective of patients, researchers, and science. She introduces us to a woman stuck in The Walking Dead, a family wracked with Alzheimer's disease, and an entire region gripped by a baffling epidemic. By tracing the molecular causes for neurologic diseases, Peskin highlights cutting-edge developments in cognitive research, making the case that these are the stories that will one day teach us how to cure dementia and other diseases of the brain. A Molecule Away from Madness offers a captivating, singular view of the human brain."-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

ISBN: 9781324002376
ISBN: 1324002379
Physical Description: viii, 214 pages ; 22 cm
Edition: First edition
Publisher: New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, [2022]
Copyright: ©2022

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:	Includes bibliographical references (pages 191-206) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:	Introduction -- Part one: DNA mutants -- In suspension -- La bobera de la familia -- Has anyone seen my father? -- Part two: Rebellious proteins -- A zombie apocalypse -- Muscle man -- Deadly laughter -- Part three: Brain invaders and evaders -- Like Lucifer -- An honest liar -- Filth parties -- Epilogue