Jon Palfreman

Brain Storms: The Race to Unlock the Mysteries of Parkinson's Disease Jon Palfreman

Brief Description: "A star science journalist with Parkinson's reveals the inner workings of this perplexing disease. Seven million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's--with sixty thousand new cases diagnosed each year in the U. S. alone--and it remains an enigma, with doctors, researchers, and patients hunting for a cure. In Brain Storms, award-winning journalist Jon Palfreman tells their story, a story that takes on urgency when he is diagnosed with the debilitating illness. Palfreman chronicles how scientists have labored to crack the mystery of what was once called "the shaking palsy," from the earliest clinical descriptions to the cutting edge of molecular neuroscience. He charts the victories and setbacks of a massive international effort to best the disease, referred to as one of the best windows into the brain itself. Brain Storms is also a profoundly personal investigation into Palfreman's own struggles and those of others living with Parkinson's. From a professional ballet dancer who "tricks" her body to move freely again, to a "frozen" patient who cannot walk but astounds doctors when he is able to ride a bicycle, Palfreman shines a light on the varied and ingenious ways patients cope with having their bodies steadily taken away from them. The race is on to discover a means to stop or reverse neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Brain Storms is the long-overdue, riveting detective story of that race, and a passionate, insightful account into the lives of those affected"--Provided by publisher. Review Quotes: Through keen and captivating storytelling, Jon Palfreman expertly shares the many challenges and opportunities that surround Parkinson's research and gives credit to the people who have made drug discovery and development possible-most of all, the individuals living with the disease.--Todd Sherer, PhD, CEO of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson s Research"Review Quotes: Rarely if ever does a book on Parkinson's disease come along that so seamlessly explores the personal side of the illness as well as the latest in scientific research from around the world. Jon Palfreman presents the disease with insight, sensitivity, and accuracy-truly an awesome achievement. Whether you are a patient, family member, physician, scientist, or simply someone interested in how science and emotions merge when someone develops a disease such as Parkinson's, you will benefit enormously from this eminently readable, wonderful book. I have never seen a book that explores the whole story of Parkinson's disease in such depth, and with such skill.--J. William Langston, MD, Chief Scientific Officer and Founder of Parkinson's InstituteReview Quotes: In "Brain Storms," Jon Palfreman highlights the intriguing personal stories behind the expanding clinical picture of Parkinson's disease and the recent advances in Parkinson's research. The book is brilliant-and riveting.--John Nutt, MD, Director Emeritus of the OHSU Parkinson CenterTable of Contents: Author's NotePrologue1. "Discovery"2. Restoration3. The Case of the Frozen Addicts4. Mind over Matter5. Patient Power6. Surgical Serendipity7. The Exercise Rx8. New Neurons for Old9. Neuroprotection10. Rebranding Parkinson's Disease11. The Descendants12. When Good Proteins Go Bad13. Damage Assessment14. Learning from Alzheimer's15. Medicinal Gold16. Brain StormsNotesAcknowledgmentsIndexReview Quotes: Jon Palfreman combines the skills of an incredibly talented science journalist with the passion of someone who is also affected by Parkinson's disease. His book is an amazing inspiration for all of us involved in Parkinson's disease research. We hope that he will have cause to write another chapter soon, one that highlights a cure.--Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD, Van Andel Research InstituteReview Quotes: Praise for "The Case of the Frozen AddictsReview Quotes: Praise for "The Case of the Frozen Addicts ""I could not put it down." --Oliver SacksMarc Notes: Includes index.; A star science journalist with Parkinson's reveals the inner workings of this perplexing disease. Seven million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's--with sixty thousand new cases diagnosed each year in the U. S. alone--and it remains an enigma, with doctors, researchers, and patients hunting for a cure. In Brain Storms, award-winning journalist Jon Palfreman tells their story, a story that takes on urgency when he is diagnosed with the debilitating illness. Palfreman chronicles how scientists have labored to crack the mystery of what was once called the shaking palsy, from the earliest clinical descriptions to the cutting edge of molecular neuroscience. He charts the victories and setbacks of a massive international effort to best the disease, referred to as one of the best windows into the brain itself. Brain Storms is also a profoundly personal investigation into Palfreman's own struggles and those of others living with Parkinson's. From a professional ballet dancer who tricks her body to move freely again, to a frozen patient who cannot walk but astounds doctors when he is able to ride a bicycle, Palfreman shines a light on the varied and ingenious ways patients cope with having their bodies steadily taken away from them. The race is on to discover a means to stop or reverse neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Brain Storms is the long-overdue, riveting detective story of that race, and a passionate, insightful account into the lives of those affected--Provided by publisher.; Brain Storms tells the story of Parkinson's disease and the scientific battle to defeat it--Provided by publisher. Biographical Note: Jon Palfreman, PhD, is a professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Oregon. He is an Emmy, duPont, and Peabody Award-winning journalist, a Nieman Fellow, and the recipient of the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting. In addition to producing more than forty primetime documentaries for the BBC and PBS, Palfreman is a coauthor of "The Case of the Frozen Addicts" and "The Dream Machine." He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts. Review Quotes: I could not put it down.--Oliver Sacks on The Case of the Frozen AddictsReview Quotes: "Brain Storms" is a sweeping survey-and a fascinating discovery narrative-of one of the great neurological scourges of our time. In this era of brain science, Jon Palfreman's book points to remarkable vistas of research that promise hope to millions.--Sandeep Jauhar, New York Times-bestselling author of Doctored and InternReview Quotes: In "Brain Storms," Jon Palfreman combines the skills of an incredibly talented science journalist with the passion of someone who is also affected by Parkinson's disease. His book is an amazing inspiration for all of us involved in Parkinson's disease research. We hope that he will have cause to write another chapter soon, one that highlights a cure.--Patrik Brundin, MD, PhD, Van Andel Research InstituteReview Quotes: "Brain Storms" is a fascinating journey from the discovery of Parkinson's to new treatments on the horizon-informative, inspiring, and, since Jon Palfreman's quest to understand the disease is personal, poignant. This book is essential reading for all who will, in one way or another, confront disability and disease in their own lives.--R. Douglas Fields, author of The Other BrainBrief Description: "Seven million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's--with sixty thousand new cases diagnosed each year in the U. S. alone--and it remains an enigma, with doctors, researchers, and patients hunting for a cure. In [this book], award-winning journalist Jon Palfreman tells their story, a story that takes on urgency when he is diagnosed with the debilitating illness. Palfreman chronicles how scientists have labored to crack the mystery of what was once called 'the shaking palsy, ' from the earliest clinical descriptions to the cutting edge of molecular neuroscience. He charts the victories and setbacks of a massive international effort to best the disease, referred to as one of the best windows into the brain itself"--Provided by publisher. Publisher Marketing: A Top 10 Science Book of Fall 2015 - "Publishers Weekly" A star science journalist with Parkinson's reveals the inner workings of this perplexing disease Seven million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's, and doctors, researchers, and patients continue to hunt for a cure. In "Brain Storms," the award-winning journalist Jon Palfreman tells their story, a story that became his own when he was diagnosed with the debilitating illness. Palfreman chronicles how scientists have worked to crack the mystery of what was once called the shaking palsy, from the earliest clinical descriptions of tremors, gait freezing, and micrographia to the cutting edge of neuroscience, and charts the victories and setbacks of a massive international effort to best the disease. He takes us back to the late 1950s and the discovery of L-dopa. He delves into a number of other therapeutic approaches to this perplexing condition, from partial lobotomies and deep brain stimulation to neural grafting. And he shares inspiring stories of brave individuals living with Parkinson's, from a former professional ballet dancer who tricks her body to move freely again to a patient who cannot walk but astounds doctors when he is able to ride a bicycle with no trouble at all. With the baby boom generation beginning to retire and the population steadily aging, the race is on to discover a means to stop or reverse neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. "Brain Storms" is the long-overdue, riveting, and deeply personal story of that race, and a passionate, insightful, and urgent look into the lives of those affected. Review Citations:

Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2015 (EAN 9780374116170, Hardcover)

Library Journal 06/15/2015 pg. 105 (EAN 9780374116170, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 07/06/2015 (EAN 9780374116170, Hardcover) - *Starred Review

Booklist 08/01/2015 pg. 12 (EAN 9780374116170, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Palfreman, Jon JON PALFREMAN, PhD, is the KEZI Distinguished Professor of Broadcast Journalism at the University of Oregon. He is an Emmy, Dupont, and Peabody Award winning journalist, and the recipient of the Victor Cohn Prize for Excellence in Medical Science Reporting. He is a three-time winner of an AAAS Science Journalism Award and a three-time winner of the NASW Science in Society Journalism Award. Palfreman is the author of "The Case of the Frozen Addicts" and "The Dream Machine". He lives in Lexington, Massachusetts.