Among the most interesting fields in research are the emerging possibilities to interface the human brain directly with machines, e.g. with computers and robotic interfaces. The European Space Agency's Advanced Concept team as a multidisciplinary team from engineering, artificial intelligence, and neural engineering has been working on the cutting edge of exploring brain machine interfaces for application in space as solutions to limitations astronauts face in space, and this book for the first time presents the state-of-the-art-cohesively.
* A pioneering book for a pioneering field
* Presents the application of cutting-edge brain machine interface technologies and concepts to support astronauts in space
* Of great interest to space scientists, neuroscientists, and biomedical engineers alike

This volume provides a comprehensive understanding of the biology of dementias, including information on advancements in the way these disorders are perceived and studied. From earlier assumptions that cognitive deficits were simply age related, this handbook progresses into complex discussions of the diseases that affect the cortex of the human brain.

Clinicians will find extensive diagnostic and research perspectives on a variety of interesting topics, including neuropathology, physiopathology, biology, clinics, and imaging information on all, or most, of the dementing disorders currently known.

In addition, chapters devoted to legal and ethical issues give practitioners and health care workers an informative view on complex dementias and the way these disorders affect patients and families. Clinicians in all levels of expertise will find useful and synthetic information.
* Comprehensive information on advancements in the study and diagnosis of dementias
* Complex discussions of the diseases that affect the cortex of the human brain
* Extensive diagnostic and research perspectives on topics including, but not limited to, neuropathology, physiopathology, and groundbreaking imaging techniques
* A reference guide that is appropriate for clinicians in all levels of expertise, from researchers to basic health care providers

This textbook provides a thorough and comprehensive overview of the human brain and spinal cord for medical and graduate students as well as residents in the clinical neurosciences. Standing on the shoulders of training from outstanding scientist-teacher mentors and based on more than 30 years of experience teaching about the brain and spinal cord to medical and graduate students, this single authored text presents everything the reader would need as they begin their study of the nervous system. At the same time the experienced neuroscientist will find much useful and valuable information in these pages that is based almost exclusively on studies in experimental primates and observations in humans. Every effort has been made to present the complexities of the nervous system as simply and clearly as possible. The careful reader will discover a clarity and depth of coverage that makes the reading both instructional and enjoyable. Topics are presented logically and the text in an easy-to-read style. The accompanying line drawings emphasize important concepts in a clear and uncluttered manner.
Topics presented:
- Neurons, glial cells, degeneration, regeneration, axonal transport
- Review of the development of the human nervous system
- Overview of the anatomy of the spinal cord, brain stem and forebrain
- General sensory paths (pain, temperature, touch, pressure, proprioception)
- Special sensory systems (auditory, vestibular, visual, olfactory and gustatory)
- Eye movements and visual reflexes
- Comprehensive presentation of the regions involved in motor activity including the clinical manifestation of injuries to these motor areas
- Limbic system, hypothalamusand the autonomic nervous system
- Lobes of the brain, clinically important cortical areas and the results of lesions in these areas
- Blood supply to the spinal cord, brain stem, and brain including classical brain stem syndromes
- The meninges and the ventricular system
- Numerous helpful clinical correlations that emphasize the practical application of basic anatomical information.
* Presents the complexities of the nervous system as simply and clearly as possible
* Written with a clarity and depth of coverage that makes the reading both instructional and enjoyable
* Includes numerous illustrations emphasizing important concepts

The Atlas of X-Linked Intellectual Disability Syndromes is a comprehensive and up-to-date summary of the clinically distinctive disorders caused by genes on the X chromosome. Clinical and laboratory data on 150 syndromes are presented in a concise and consistent manner. Each syndrome is defined and information is provided on somatic features, growth and development, neurological signs, cognitive performance, imaging and other laboratory findings, and when possible, the nature and localization of the responsible gene. Craniofacial and other somatic findings are extensively illustrated. A differential matrix accompanies each syndrome description to assist the reader in identifying other X-linked syndromes with overlapping features. Individual syndrome entries are supplemented with nineteen appendices that identify syndromes with common features and provide the location or mapping limits and function of the responsible genes. The authors have extensive experience in the clinical and laboratory delineation of X-linked intellectual disability. They have described new syndromes, regionally mapped disease loci on the X chromosome, and identified the genes responsible for X-linked syndromes.

Peter J. Jannetta, the neurosurgeon/neuroscientist who has contributed so much to the evaluation and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia and other cranial nerve disorders brings together the most distinguished contributors in Trigeminal Neuralgia.
This seminal work collates and categorizes in one succinct volume what we understand about the various forms of face pain syndromes. By providing information on former beliefs, as well as current understanding, this book provides multiple options regarding diagnosis, medical treatment and operative intervention which will help decision making, develop knowledge and improve care of patients.
Trigeminal Neuralgia begins with an Introduction explaining where we were and what role those ideas have played in current thinking, all with the goal of giving the reader a basis for future thought. With each subsequent chapter - written by basic scientists and astute clinicians working in the area of facial pain - enigmas are clarified, solutions of apparently untreatable problems are presented, and a better understanding of how diagnoses and pathophysiology are evolving are presented.
This is a must read for all who would learn about neurogenic facial pain.

Here is the Fourth Edition of the classic text Electrodiagnosis in Diseases of Nerve and Muscle. With each subsequent edition, Dr. Kimura has built upon his extensive experience teaching electromyography (EMG) around the world and has transferred his knowledge to the book. It is intended for clinicians who perform electrodiagnostic procedures as an extension of their clinical examination, and will be of value to neurologists and physiatrists who are interested in neuromuscular disorders and noninvasive electrodiagnostic methods, particularly those practicing electromyography (EMG). The book provides a comprehensive review of most peripheral nerve and muscle diseases, including specific techniques and locations for performing each test. While the book has been thoroughly updated to reflect the growth that has been made in the field since 2001, a DVD has also been added to the book, allowing the readers to watch and listen to various types of normal and abnormal EMG activities. The book is designed for those interested in a broad review of electrodiagnostic medicine, especially to those dealing with patients with neuromuscular disorders, who may benefit from a referral for electromyography and nerve conduction studies as part of the clinical practice. It will appeal to those wanting a current update on the subject and those interested in state of the art information and observation of electrophysiologic techniques.

Migraine treatment improved considerably with the advent of the 'triptans' in the 1990s. While the drugs used previously for headache treatment had efficacy, some compounds had bothersome side effects and their overuse could lead to severe complications. In the early days of the triptans, it was widely presumed that migraine was no longer a treatment problem. However, it has gradually been recognized that a significant proportion of patients are not responsive to triptans or do not tolerate them. It is now clear that, even with effective treatment, patients with frequent migraine attacks are not treated well exclusively with acute medications. This is partly because patients are still bothered by the attacks and partly because frequent intake of acute medication may result in medication-overuse headache. These problems have led to a renewed interest in preventive migraine drugs.
Part of the Frontiers in Headache Research series, this book summarizes the several promising new avenues for the development of future drugs for the treatment of migraine, including cortical-spreading depression inhibition, nitric oxide synthase inhibition and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor antagonism, as well as other potential targets. The book presents frontline knowledge of these evolving modalities as far as it is available in the public domain. It is hoped that readers and their patients will find it exciting to learn about all the novel possibilities, and also that the impressive research advances in migraine will lead to increased funding, not only of migraine but also of other types of headache.

Borderline Personality Disorder: Tailoring the Psychotherapy to the Patient explores the challenge of treating patients with borderline personality disorder. These patients make up a large segment of the difficult-to-treat population. The instability of their relationships, the intensity of their affective responses, and their proneness to paranoid reactions all contribute to their difficulty in working consistently and constructively in the psychotherapeutic situation. When one adds these difficult patient problems to the therapist's quandary about how expressive or supportive to be, therapists are indeed often confronted with a challenging therapeutic task. The book begins with a review of the clinical and research literature pertaining to the treatment of borderline patients. It presents a unique, empirically based intensive study of three borderline patients, based on transcripts of audiotaped therapy sessions. The research methodology is reviewed, and clinically oriented descriptions of the three patients, their psychotherapy processes, and their outcomes are included. Following an overall summary of results, conclusions regarding the differential indications for supportive versus expressive emphasis in psychotherapy are discussed. In their research, the authors recorded every psychotherapy session and studied a randomly selected group of sessions. Therefore, the reader is provided with increased insight into what is most effective with what kind of patient at a given point in the therapy process.

One out of every 75 people worldwide will be afflicted with panic disorder during their lifetime. "Treatment of Panic Disorder" presents the latest research of leading psychology, psychiatry, cardiology, internal medicine, and methodology experts working in this field. The authors address such issues as - What is panic disorder? - How is it diagnosed? - What are the current treatments? - What are the effects of these treatments? - What are the directions for future research?

Since its beginnings in the 1970s, the field of torture rehabilitation has grown rapidly. A growing awareness about the practice of torture (more than 100 countries today practice government-sanctioned torture) and its effects on victims is leading to an increasing number of dedicated treatment centers. The health care professionals on the staffs of these centers need the best, most up-to-date information and advice they can get. This book delivers it.

"Caring for Victims of Torture" contains all the collective wisdom of some of the most respected international experts in the treatment of victims of government torture& mdash;all distinguished physicians& mdash;including pioneers in the field of traumatic stress. Contributors discuss the most recent advances in knowledge about government-sanctioned torture and offer practical approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of torture victims. Organized into six main sections, this annotated volume provides an overview of the history and politics of torture and rehabilitation; guidance in identifying and defining the sequelae of torture; a framework for assessment and treatment; specific treatment interventions; and a discussion of ethical implications. In the final section, physicians working in the field offer firsthand accounts and address how they are trying to balance politics with caregiving.

Focusing on the physician& rsquo;s role, this book is chiefly a clinical guide. But for advanced-level students, it serves as a thorough, up-to-date text and reference work. Religious leaders, lawyers, politicians, human rights advocates, and torture victims themselves will find it a valuable resource as well.

Traditionally, impulsive and compulsive behaviors have been categorized as fundamentally distinct. However, patients often exhibit both of these behaviors. This common comorbidity has sparked renewed interest in the factors contributing to the disorders in which these behaviors are prominent. "Impulsivity and Compulsivity" applies a provocative spectrum model to this psychopathology. The spectrum model is consistent with a dimensional model for psychopathology and considers the dynamic interaction of biopsychosocial forces in the development of impulsive and compulsive disorders.

In this important work on impulsive/compulsive psychopathology, leading researchers and clinicians share their expertise on the phenomenological, biological, psychodynamic, and treatment aspects of these disorders. Differential diagnosis, comorbidity of the impulsive-compulsive spectrum of disorders, and assessment by the seven-factor model of temperament and character are discussed. Chapters are also dedicated to the antianxiety function of impulsivity and compulsivity, defense mechanisms in impulsive disorders versus obsessive-compulsive disorders, and the unique aspects of psychotherapy with impulsive and compulsive patients.

Clinical researchers and clinicians will be enlightened by this exceptional work. The information provided is supplemented with clinical vignettes, and the final chapter provides a synthetic summary that offers a unified, dynamic approach to impulsive and compulsive behavior.

The incidence of stroke in younger adults is rising, with approximately 5% of all ischaemic strokes occurring in individuals younger than 45 years and 10% occurring in those under 50. Causes and risk factor profiles among young ischaemic stroke patients differ significantly from those in elderly patients, and young patients frequently have genetic or other rare causes which require different diagnostic work-up and treatment strategies from older stroke patients. While the aetiology, diagnosis, and treatment of stroke are commonly covered elsewhere, there is little literature referring specifically to the treatment needs for younger stroke patients. Ischaemic Stroke in the Young brings together the latest research from leading stroke teams, and takes a detailed diagnostic approach to explore the issues particular to younger stroke victims. This problem-based approach complements existing stroke volumes, providing physicians and stroke service staff with the specific diagnostic and treatment information they need when dealing with younger stroke patients.

For modern scientists, history often starts with last week's journals and is regarded as largely a quaint interest compared with the advances of today. However, this book makes the case that, measured by major advances, the greatest decade in the history of brain studies was mid-twentieth century, especially the 1950s. The first to focus on worldwide contributions in this period, the book ranges through dozens of astonishing discoveries at all levels of the brain, from DNA (Watson and Crick), through growth factors (Hamburger and Levi-Montalcini), excitability (Hodgkin and Huxley), synapses (Katz and Eccles), dopamine and Parkinson's (Carlsson), visual processing (Hartline and Kuffler), the cortical column (Mountcastle), reticular activating system (Morruzzi and Magoun) and REM sleep (Aserinsky), to stress (Selye), learning (Hebb) and memory (HM and Milner). The clinical fields are also covered, from Cushing and Penfield, psychosurgery and brain energy metabolism (Kety), to most of the major psychoactive drugs in use today (beginning with Delay and Deniker), and much more.
The material has been the basis for a highly successful advanced undergraduate and graduate course at Yale, with the classic papers organized and accessible on the web. There is interest for a wide range of readers, academic, and lay because there is a focus on the creative process itself, on understanding how the combination of unique personalities, innovative hypotheses, and new methods led to the advances. Insight is given into this process through describing the struggles between male and female, student and mentor, academic and private sector, and the roles of chance and persistence. The book thus provides a new multidisciplinary understanding of the revolution that created the modern field of neuroscience and set the bar for judging current and future advances.

The phenomenon of trichotillomania, or hair pulling, has been observed for centuries. The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates noted hair pulling as one of the many symptoms that the physician was advised to assess as a routine matter. In our present time and culture, & ldquo;pulling one& rsquo;s hair out& rdquo; is more typically referred to in the context of depression, frustration, boredom, or other emotional turmoil.

In truth, hair pulling is a highly prevalent behavior that may be associated with significant morbidity.

Edited by experts in the field, "Trichotillomania" addresses the importance of the study of hair pulling from both a clinical and a research perspective. Documenting the clinical phenomenology, morbidity, and management of trichotillomania, it discusses the phenomenology of childhood trichotillomania, providing a comprehensive description of its symptoms and sequelae. Of particular value for the clinician are contributions on the assessment of trichotillomania and a detailed cognitive-behavioral treatment plan. The uses of medication, the place of a psychodynamic perspective, the value of behavioral interventions, and the role of hypnotherapy are also thoroughly discussed.

This discerning text further documents the significance of research on trichotillomania for obtaining a broader understanding of complex brain-behavior relationships. While recent research has suggested that hair pulling lies on the spectrum of obsessive-compulsive disorder, a range of evidence is presented that indicates important differences between trichotillomania and OCD. As such, attention by clinicians to hair pulling may be of enormous value to patients, whose condition waspreviously unrecognized, while leading to a better understanding of the range of OCD-like disorders.

In recent years society has witnessed more and more reports of violence and abuse related to sexual aggression. The increase of sexually aggressive behavior among adolescent offenders is of particular concern and consideration.

"Sexual Aggression" explores this phenomenon& mdash;from the recognition of the development of sexual behavior problems in childhood to the assessment and treatment of both male and female adolescent and adult sex offenders. The book is divided into two sections. The first section presents an overview of the problem of sexual aggression and the psychological consequences of such acts, covering important topics such as childhood sexual development and forms of non-normative behavior within the family. The issue of sexual harassment of children is examined as well as the short-term and long-term consequences of sexual abuse and victimization. Cultural and ethnic influences are explored as they relate to the response to abuse by the child and family.

The second section assesses and evaluates sexually aggressive behavior and offers treatment options. Both male and female offenders are described, as are the determinants of adolescent sexual aggression. The final chapters address the complex evaluation of child sex offenders and the therapeutic and pharmacological strategies for treatment.

A thorough yet accessible approach to the phenomenology and assessment of sexually aggressive behavior, "Sexual Aggression" is especially relevant to psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers who treat sexually aggressive adolescents and adults& mdash;as well as the victims of sexual aggression.

"Social Phobia: Clinical and Research Perspectives" is devoted to social phobia, a disorder finally receiving due attention. Each chapter author is an authority in the field and provides up-to-date reviews of his or her particular topic, illustrated by specific, detailed case examples. Diagnostic and measurement instruments important for research and clinical practice are also examined.

The book is devoted to etiology and treatment, including reviews of competing psychodynamic, behavioral, and neurological theories. Students and teachers will benefit from the incisive, concise critiques of treatment. Clinicians will find the state-of-the-art reviews of treatments invaluable. A how-to chapter on cognitive-behavioral group therapy is a unique element of the book.

Tourette syndrome (TS) is finally recognized as a common neurodevelopmental disorder, and has gained increasingly high social awareness and scientific interest worldwide. Knowledge of its clinical presentation, mechanisms of disease, and available treatment approaches has increased remarkably over the last decade. Likewise, the way clinicians, teachers, social care workers and families face the problems manifested by patients with TS is rapidly evolving. Tourette Syndrome, edited by Davide Martino and James F. Leckman, offers a unique opportunity to capture this interesting momentum through a comprehensive and up-to-date overview. Tourette Syndrome covers all of the main aspects related to TS, analyzing the complexity of its clinical presentation, the novel viewpoints of causes and mechanisms, the best way to assess TS patients, and the multifaceted and multidisciplinary treatment options. The multidisciplinary and up-to-date content is the main asset of this volume, which represents a useful source of consultation for a wide audience of professionals, all of whom will have access to what is known so far on TS within their particular area of expertise, at the same time being able to expand and update their knowledge in other areas. Medical and PhD students, as well as post-doctoral scientists, will be able to use the volume as a valuable learning source. Also, questions for future research are clearly presented in the volume, providing a summary of the viewpoint of the contributing authors upon where research on TS should be heading. Finally, clinicians and other health professionals will have access at a glance to the main patients' associations and organizations dedicated to TS worldwide, which can facilitate the direct contact with patients.

In this collection of medical tales “reminiscent of Oliver Sacks...the best of medical writing” (Abraham Verghese, author of The Covenant of Water), a neurologist reckons with the stories we tell about our brains, and the stories our brains tell us.

A girl believes she has been struck blind for stealing a kiss. A mother watches helplessly as each of her children is replaced by a changeling. A woman is haunted each month by the same four chords of a single song. In neurology, illness is inextricably linked with narrative, the clues to unraveling these mysteries hidden in both the details of a patient's story and the tells of their body.

Stories are etched into the very structure of our brains, coded so deeply that the impulse for storytelling survives and even surges after the most devastating injuries. But our brains are also porous—the stories they concoct shaped by cultural narratives about bodies and illness that permeate the minds of doctors and patients alike. In the history of medicine, some stories are heard, while others—the narratives of women, of Black and brown people, of displaced people, of disempowered people—are too often dismissed.

In The Mind Electric, neurologist Pria Anand reveals—through case study, history, fable, and memoir—all that the medical establishment has overlooked: the complexity and wonder of brains in health and in extremis, and the vast gray area between sanity and insanity, doctor and patient, and illness and wellness, each separated from the next by the thin veneer of a different story.

Moving from the Boston hospital where she treats her patients, to her childhood years in India, to Isla Providencia in the Caribbean and to the Republic of Guinea in West Africa, she demonstrates again and again the compelling paradox at the heart of neurology: that even the most peculiar symptoms can show us something universal about ourselves as humans.

What do you do when you wake up in your mid-forties and realize you've been living a lie your whole life? Do you tell? Or do you keep it to yourself?

Laura James found out that she was autistic as an adult, after she had forged a career for herself, married twice and raised four children. This book tracks the year of Laura's life after she receives a definitive diagnosis from her doctor, as she learns that 'different' doesn't need to mean 'less' and how there is a place for all of us, and it's never too late to find it.

Laura draws on her professional and personal experiences and reflects on her life in the light of her diagnosis, which for her explains some of her differences; why, as a child, she felt happier spinning in circles than standing still and why she has always found it difficult to work in places with a lot of ambient noise.

Although this is a personal story, the book has a wider focus too, exploring reasons for the lower rate of diagnosed autism in women and a wide range of topics including eating disorders and autism, marriage and motherhood.

Odd Girl Out gives a timely account from a woman negotiating the autistic spectrum, from a poignant and personal perspective.

Neurostimulation for Epilepsy: Advances, Applications and Opportunities comprehensively reviews the diverse array of neurostimulation technologies currently in use and development for the treatment of epilepsy. The book covers basic research on mechanisms of neurostimulation, technical features of various FDA-approved and investigational devices for neurostimulation, clinical applications and programming considerations of these devices, and emerging insights and research based on data derived from these devices. It provides a contemporary assessment of neurostimulation in epilepsy, one that reveals recent progress in clinical applications and outcomes, fundamental questions that remain unanswered in the field, and future directions and considerations in developing next-generation devices.