Brain Repair [Paperback]

Donald G. Stein (Author), Simï¿1/2n Brailowsky (Author), Bruno Will (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195119185 | ISBN-13: 978-0195119183 | Publication Date: August 7, 1997

Sixty years ago, the Nobel laureate Santiago Ramon y Cajal stated that "in the adult brain, nervous pathways are fixed and immutable; everything may die, nothing may be regenerated." Cajal's influence has been legendary--and conventional wisdom still holds that the human brain cannot repair itself. Today, however, remarkable discoveries from laboratories around the world offer a much more optimistic prognosis. In Brain Repair, three internationally renowned neuroscientists team up to offer an intriguing and up-to-the-minute introduction to the explosive advances being made in the research, technology, and treatment of brain damage.
The key to neuroscience's most exciting discoveries to date is a theory that is rapidly gaining adherents in the scientific community--the theory of neuroplasticity. Unlike the prevalent notion that mental processes--like seeing, remembering, and speaking--take place only within highly specialized brain regions made up of irreplaceable and non-regenerating cells, neuroplasticity stresses that cells throughout the brain can not only regenerate, but can adapt their function to assume critical roles once performed by damaged tissue. In clear, accessible language, the authors show us that the brain manufactures a host of complex chemicals that actually foster growth in damaged brain cells. We visit the laboratories where researchers are untangling the mystery of Parkinson's disease and trying to understand what goes wrong in stroke victims, and why some, thought permanently impaired, show remarkable improvements. In addition, they discuss how even today misguided ideas can adversely affect how physicians treat patients--for example, they describe common drug treatments given to stroke and head trauma patients that can actually worsen the effects of brain damage. And, along the way, they detail the fascinating history of how brain structure and functioning has been understood and studied, from prehistoric times to the present.
Over a half million people each year suffer brain-damaging injuries and diseases--but the outlook for their eventual recovery is far more hopeful than it was just a short while ago. A best-selling volume in France and Mexico, Brain Repair provides a vividly written, wide-ranging look at the leading edge of one of science's most exciting frontiers.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Justifiable optimism is the theme of this carefully thought-out, clearly written book. Stein and his colleagues survey the growth of knowledge about the brain, its injuries and diseases; examine current approaches to the repair of those traumas and the rehabilitation and retraining of their sufferers; and discuss procedures of examination and diagnosis. Emphasizing Nobel laureate Santiago Ramon y Cajal's refusal to consider brain regeneration as a possibility, they show how this attitude has limited the possibilities for innovative research and treatment; many years of poor communication between laboratory researchers and practicing clinicians have compounded that situation. Citing specific examples of diseases and trauma, the authors show how vital psychosocial factors are for both the present and the future of successful treatment. Professional and lay readers alike should ponder this pioneering book. William Beatty --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Fascinating and helful in better understanding the brain."--The New England Journal of Medicine

"Justifiable optimism is the theme of this carefully thought-out, clearly written book."--Booklist

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195119185
• ISBN-13: 978-0195119183
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,410,871 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully insightful book, July 23, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Brain Repair (Paperback)

Although I read this book for a class I was fascinated by it. Regardless of your level of expertise this is a great book. Dr. Stein's book provides an insight into the field of brain repair that is quite unique. It presents a history of brain repair and the current status of it as well as future issues that plague such research. Well written and provides a gateway to future reading. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Neurology for the Layman, February 1, 2010

By 

T. Hodge (Franklin, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brain Repair (Paperback)

This is a great book for the layman wanting to understand a detailed overview of the most recent advances in brain repair. It has been the long held opinion that the brain does not heal itself. Doctors Stein, Brailowsky and WIll spell out their studies that indicate that there is hope for brain repair after all. Their studies focus on Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury (TBI).

However, this short volume should not be taken as a "how to" for you to treat your loved one at home, nor is it filled with new treatments for you to take to your neurologist. While their experiments stop short of providing final answers, they do give us hope that our loved ones may one day find relief. I get the impression that this book is meant more as a plea for funding for their ongoing research. And I hope they find plenty of underwriting.

If you have a loved one who is suffering from brain injury, this is a great book to get a complete grasp on what they are up against without painting a totally bleak picture, as most medical articles and textbooks often do. That said, the hope they inspire may actually be for the next generation. But read it still for the best education you can get without going to med school.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primer on brain plasticity, March 25, 2010

By 

e. verrillo (williamsburg, ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brain Repair (Paperback)

The idea that the brain can repair itself is a relatively recent one. Up until the 1980s most neurologists believed that once neurons were injured, that was the end of the story. In large part, this belief was fueled by the eminent Spanish anatomist, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, who stated categorically that "nervous pathways are fixed and immutable, everything may die, nothing may be regenerated." Ramon y Cajal was not only quite wrong, he ignored his own research, which demonstrated that the nervous system was fully capable of regeneration.

Brain Repair covers how, and why the brain and nervous system can recover functionality after both abrupt trauma and slow onset injuries. In clear, conversational style, the authors explain how the nervous system works, how it develops and, most importantly, the mechanisms through which it can heal itself. (The chapter on brain transplants was especially interesting.) But this is not a simple science text; the thoughtfulness with which the authors raise relevant issues goes beyond mere biology. "Of what benefit are these findings for patients?" is the question they repeatedly ask--one which all researchers would do well to remember.

If you are interested in neurology, this is the book you need to read before you embark on further research. It will provide you with both the knowledge and a conceptual basis for understanding brain plasticity. Best of all, you don't need to be a neurobiologist to read it.