Our brains do amazing things: they determine our actions, our thoughts and our feelings. We may not always realise it, but the brain is central to the way we experience life. So what happens when brain circuits break? What are the consequences for our behaviour and personality?
From Parkinson's disease to Tourette's syndrome, and depression to psychopathy, Broken Brains reveals the mysteries of brain function - and dysfunction. In this no-nonsense introduction, Ian Mitchell takes you on a tour through the sometimes devastating, and sometimes bizarre, effects of what happens when brains break down.
Highly readable and packed with anecdotes and real examples from neurosurgery, it brings biological psychology to life, making it the perfect introduction to understanding the brain and what happens when things go wrong.
1. Brains, Brain Cells and Transmitters
2. Pituitaries, Hormones and Rewards
3. Parkinson's Disease, Brain Stimulation and Motor Control
4. Depression, Stress and Suicide
5. Psychoses, Bipolar and PTSD
6. Alcohol, Fear and Anxiety
7. Traumatic Brain Injuries, Assaults and Psychopaths
8. Food, Nutrition and Brain Health
9. Disgust, Huntington's Disease and Tourette's
10. Brain Cell Death, Brain Stem Death and Death
11. Neurodevelopment, Regeneration and Remodelling
12. Robots, Cognitive Enhancers and Moral Dilemmas.
