Matters Gray And White

John Ferrier is the pseudonym of a young neurologist who, having completed residencies and research fellowships at Oxford, Vancouver, Denver, Cornell, and Columbia, returned to his home in a medium-sized Rocky Mountain city to take up private practice. Ferrier, whose recreations range from architecture to jazz, combines a passionate interest in neurological research with the sensitivity and compassion of the best clinicians. For over a year, widely acclaimed writer Russell Martin followed him through the days and ways of his practice. The result is a fascinating picture of the brain and its diseases, a moving account of human courage, and a revealing insight into the practice of modern medicine. Matters Gray and White is science writing at its very best. "A book of fascinating insights into modern medical practices and heartening accounts of individual courage. ... Martin records with uncommon sensitivity and understanding the clinical work and thoughts or a first-rate physician. ... It is excellent." New York Times Book Review "An honest and moving book that covers a wide swatch and leaves us full of awe." Washington Post Book World "Compelling ... Martin doesn't merely isolate cases, he weaves them together with the skill of a novelist." The Denver Post

Describes the duties of a neurologist, looks at specific cases and their outcomes, and discusses major brain disfunctions

A perfect blend of medical drama and spiritual insight, Gray Matter is a fascinating account of Dr. David Levy’s decision to begin asking his patients if he could pray for them before surgery. Some are thrilled. Some are skeptical. Some are hostile, and some are quite literally transformed by the request. Each chapter focuses on a specific case, opening with a detailed description of the patient’s diagnosis and the procedure that will need to be performed, followed by the prayer “request.” From there, readers get to look over Dr. Levy’s shoulder as he performs the operation, and then we wait—right alongside Dr. Levy, the patients, and their families—to see the final results. Dr. Levy’s musings on what successful and unsuccessful surgical results imply about God, faith, and the power of prayer are honest and insightful. As we watch him come to his ultimate conclusion that no matter what the results of the procedure are, “God is good,” we cannot help but be truly moved and inspired.

In recent decades, the use of neuroimaging techniques has resulted in outstanding progress in the diagnosis and management of neurological diseases, and this is particularly true of those diseases that affect the white matter of the brain and spinal cord. This book, written by internationally acclaimed experts, comprises a series of comprehensive and up-to-date reviews on the use of MR imaging in these major neurological conditions. The diverse available MR techniques, such as magnetization transfer MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, MR spectroscopy, functional MRI, cell-specific MRI, perfusion MRI, and microscopic imaging with ultra-high field MRI, offer an extraordinarily powerful means of gaining fundamental in vivo insights into disease processes. The strengths and weaknesses of all these techniques in the study of multiple sclerosis and other relevant diseases are extensively considered. After an introductory section on neuroimaging technology, subsequent sections address disorders of myelination, demyelinating diseases, immune-mediated disorders, and white matter disorders related to aging and other conditions. This book provides a valuable summary of the state of the art in the field, and defines important areas for future research.

Rachel Whitman has everything. She's young, attractive, and affluent. Her husband is the brilliant CEO of his own company. They have a big new house in a flossy Boston suburb. They have all the brand-name "toys" that go along with wealth. And they have a gorgeous, sweet little six-year-old son named Dylan. But Dylan has learning disabilities. Although intelligence isn't everything, Rachel lives in a community where the rewards for brainpower are conspicuous. She fears her son will grow up never fully appreciating the wonders of life. Like so many middle-class parents who would do anything to improve life for their children—whether it means fixing hair, teeth, or nose—Rachel cannot accept that her child is less than perfect. Tortured by the idea that something she did in the past caused Dylan's problems, Rachel becomes obsessed with a secret and expensive medical procedure that claims to turn slow children into geniuses. Should she and her husband sacrifice their new fortune on the risky, experimental procedure for the sake of their son's happiness? Unaware of the real consequences of the brain enhancement procedure, Rachel can't know that the costs of the operation go far beyond financial ones. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

Gray Matter, Matters is a book that will revolutionize school and clinical practices. For the first time, professionals in the educational domain will be challenged to rethink by which method children with brain injury are to receive services. Neurodevelopmental disorders are frequently misdiagnosed as learning disabilities." These disorders of childhood are presumed to be of psychological origin. This book discusses the myth of learning disabilities, emotional disturbances and "other health impaired." The use of labels to remediate neurodevelopmental disorders is inappropriate and may lead to school dropout. Nontraumatic brain injury (NTBI) typically results from biological and/or environmental factors. As such, NTBI will be manifest as learning, speech and language, motor, emotional and behavioral disturbances. These children do not have a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The lack of knowledge of the brain-behavior relationship leads to erroneous educational practices. When these practices are applied, children are punished for their inability to attain academic mastery. Teachers may be incorrectly blamed for failing to help children move out of the cycle of failure. When children present with learning, emotional or behavioral difficulties, professionals in the schools typically overlook biological antecedents. In this book, childhood disorders will be explained from a neurodynamic perspective. Now children with nontraumatic brain injury will finally get the recognition and assistance they need. Educators are challenged to embrace the tenets of cognitive neuroscience. This is a must read for parents and professionals who desire to move children through the continuum of academic progress.