Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art -Book Review

There is nothing more essential to our health and wellbeing than breathing: take air in, let it out, repeat 25,000 times a day. Yet, as a species, humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly, with grave consequences. Journalist James Nestor travels the world to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. The answers aren't found in pulmonology labs, as we might expect, but in the muddy digs of ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, New Jersey choir schools, and the smoggy streets of São Paulo, Brazil. Nestor tracks down men and women exploring the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya and Tummo and teams up with pulmonary tinkerers to scientifically test long-held beliefs about how we breathe. Modern research is showing us that making even slight adjustments to the way we inhale and exhale can jump-start athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, halt snoring, allergies, asthma and autoimmune disease, and even straighten scoliotic spines. None of this should be possible, and yet it is. Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry and human physiology, Breath turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again. Review This book is a collection of anecdotes and pseudo science about breathing. These range from insubstantial; a man in the 1930's met another man who'd benefited from visiting Tibetan monks who breath through their noses. To plausible; anxiety can be controlled with breathing, strengthening the chest muscles and diaphram can help with breathing (eg. physiotherapy is good for people with emphysema). To mystical; breathing can infuse the body with a magical 'energy' called Prana. Any conclusions seem to be contradictory: breath in little sips, take big breaths, reduce the amount of oxygen in our bodies, increase the amount etc. A lot is written concerning a study he and a friend took part in where they taped their noses shut for 10 days to force them to breath through their mouths. Apparently this will make you feel rotten, snore more and grow bacteria in your unused nasal cavity. Hardly surprising.

Summary of When Breath Becomes Air: By Paul Kalanithi

Summary of When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi - Includes Analysis Preview: When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir about Paul Kalanithi's experiences as a doctor and as a terminally ill patient. The book discusses Kalanithi's lifelong fascination with questions of human biology, mortality, and meaning. It then examines how these questions are intensified by the author's own confrontation with lung cancer, sickness, and death. Kalanithi's father was a doctor from New York City; his mother was from India. The family moved to Kingman, Arizona, so that his father could pursue his medical career when Paul was young. His father worked long hours and was rarely home, which convinced young Paul that the last thing he wanted to do was to become a doctor himself. Paul's mother was concerned about the weak school system in Kingman, and so crafted a lengthy list of literary classics which she made Paul and his brothers read. As a result, Paul became enthralled with literature. He planned to become a writer. PLEASE NOTE: This is summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary of When Breath Becomes Air: Summary of the book Important People Character Analysis Analysis of the Themes and Author's Style About the Author With Instaread, you can get the key takeaways, summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience. Review When Breath Becomes Air is a profound book about a young doctor who viewed the practice of medicine in a holistic, human way in terms of how he dealt with his patients, especially those with terminal illnesses. When he himself was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he put his philosophy to work, facing his end with dignity and purpose, and writing about his experience; a book that was completed and published by his wife after his death. Paul Kalanithi’s When Breath Becomes Air is a book about a sad subject, but the author asks for no tears as he looks objectively at his own mortality. Summary of When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi by Instaread gives a very compelling look at the original work, looking objectively at the author’s style in much the same way the author approached his work. What comes through in this analysis is that this is a book well worth reading. I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

When Breath Becomes Air - Book review

‘At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet’, it is said. But one cannot say the same about Death. When Death arrives calling, not everyone stays brave or becomes a philosopher. Not all of us remain the proud humans that we are during our lifetimes, but go begging for another lease of life, no matter however brief that might be. Very few of us have the courage and composure to meet Death face-to-face, contemplate their life so far, take stock of their purpose and progress, and then, finally, do something that would fill them with the satisfaction of leaving behind something worthwhile, something that could set apart their sojourn on this planet from the billions of others. Paul Kalanithi’s was, fortunately or unfortunately, one such life that acquired a glowing purpose and meaning, sadly more during his final phase of life.

Paul Kalanithi was the second of three sons of an Indian couple settled in America. He had everything going for him. A comfortable life with family, marrying the love of his life, pursuing a career as special and as advanced as neurosurgery, reputation that could have landed him a plump career as soon as his training ended. But he also had something else too – lung cancer of an advanced stage. All his plans for the future suddenly vanished like mirage. With a life now cut short due to illness, Paul launched deeply into questions of existential nature, questions he had felt even while he was riding the crest of the tide.

This book is the answer to his questions about the meaning and purpose of human life. And, what an eloquent and poetic answer this has turned out to be! Published posthumously, this memoir recounts Paul’s early life in detail, telling us about what led to his decision to pursue a career in neuroscience, his early days as a resident surgeon and his ascent to glory. Then come the details of his illness, the various stages of cure that were tried and his frantic, determined quest to find the meaning for his life, whatever little was left of it. His wife Lucy’s epilogue is as fitting an end to the book as it could have been – beautiful, full of love and written more in a matter of fact manner than in a mawkish tone, just the same way in which Paul had written the whole book.

Life is a continuum and Death is a part of it, whether we like it or not. Death is in fact the only absolute certainty in the lives of everything, from the tiny sapling to the mightiest of stars. Just like the eyes ignore the nose that is in front of them, in order to give us an unhindered view of the world, our minds push that ineluctable reality behind so that we can plot our plans for decades until, of course, Death arrives calling, putting to waste our best-laid plans. The more we contemplate the meaning of our lives, the more we acknowledge what awaits us all in the end, and the more we chart the course of our lives accordingly, the easier it becomes for us to leave our mortal shells behind with dignity. Just the way Paul did.

Going through the book, I was often reminded of Viktor Frankl’s ‘Meaning Triangle’. According to him, a human being can add meaning to his/her life in one of these three ways – by creating something beautiful – a work of art, literature or something else similar, by being a beacon of love, filling the lives of others with love and joyful experiences or, finally, by showing a courageous attitude towards the travails that Life places on one’s path. According to me, Paul has done all the three and has really added a glowing meaning to his beautiful life, no matter however short it had been.

Done reading, I am leaving this book on my shelf, nestled between Viktor Frankl’s magnum opus ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’ and Anne Frank’s ‘The Diary of A Young Girl’, because I really feel that this book deserves its place up there!

DeMyer's The Neurologic Examination: A Programmed Text, Seventh Edition | Book Review

The single-best guide to learning how to perform the diagnostic neurologic examination – enhanced by more than 80 online videos

 

Presented in full color, DeMyer’s provides neurologists and psychiatrists in training with a proven, didactic way to learn the complicated technique of using the physical examination to diagnose neurologic illness. This trusted classic also reviews the anatomy and physiology necessary to interpret the examination, and it details the laboratory tests and neuroimaging best suited for a particular clinical problem. You will also find complete, up-to-date coverage of the latest imaging modalities for assessing disease.

 

Utilizing a learn at your own pace teaching approach, DeMyer’s The Neurologic Examination features valuable learning aids such as:

 

·        Full-color illustrations that clearly explain neuroanatomy and physiology

 

·        Detailed tables and mnemonics to help you remember important steps and signs to look for during the examination

 

·        Learning Objectives to help you organize and retain important takeaways from each chapter

 

·        Questions and answers within the text to reinforce key points

Contents

Outline of the Standard Neurologic Examination

1 Examination of the Face and Head

2 A Brief Review of Clinical Neuroanatomy

3 Examination of Vision

4 Examination of the Peripheral Ocular Motor System

5 Examination of the Central Ocular Motor Systems

6 Examination of the Motor Cranial Nerves V, VII, IX, X, XI, and XII

7 Examination of the Somatic Motor System (Excluding Cranial Nerves)

8 Examination for Cerebellar Dysfunction

9 Examination of the Special Senses

10 Examination of the General Somatosensory System

11 The Patient’s Mental Status and Higher Cerebral Functions

12 Examination of the Patient Who Has a Disorder of Consciousness

13 Ancillary Neurodiagnostic Procedures—Lumbar Puncture and Neuroimaging

14 Clinical and Laboratory Tests to Distinguish Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurologic Symptom Disorder) from Organic Disease

15 A Synopsis of the Neurologic Investigation and a Formulary of Neurodiagnosis

Index

Lange Clinical Neurology | Book Review

The classic text that covers both the basic and clinical aspects of neurology – updated with the latest therapeutic advances

 

 

A Doody’s Core Title for 2019!

 

 

Since 1989, Clinical Neurology has helped students, residents, and clinicians understand the link between basic neuroscience and current approaches in diagnosis and treatment. Applauded for its practice-oriented approach to neurology based on the patient’s presenting symptoms, this full-color resource delivers the clearest and most efficient introduction to the field available today.

 

 

As with each new edition, the authors have retained and refined the instructional material relating to the function of the nervous system in health and disease and have updated the text with the latest diagnostic and therapeutic advances.  Recent discoveries in molecular biology and immunology have led to the approval of new drugs for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (alemtuzumab), spinal muscular atrophy (nusinersen), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (edaravone), and Huntington’s disease (deutetrabenazine). These and other therapeutic advances are included in this new edition.

 

 

Presented in full color, Clinical Neurology is enhanced by chapter outlines that facilitate a quick review of each topic, an emphasis on the neurologic examination and history taking as the cornerstone of diagnosis, and treatment protocols that reflect the most recent advances in the field.

 

 

If you are in need of a clear, well-written introduction to neurology as practiced on the wards and in an outpatient setting, your search ends here.

Contents

1. Neurologic History & Examination

 

2. Investigative Studies

 

3. Coma

 

4. Confusional States

 

5. Dementia & Amnestic Disorders

 

6. Headache & Facial Pain

 

7. Neuro-Ophthalmic Disorders

 

8. Disorders of Equilibrium

 

9. Motor Disorders

 

10. Sensory Disorders

 

11. Movement Disorders

 

12. Seizures & Syncope

 

13. Stroke

 

Appendix: Clinical Examination of Common Isolated Peripheral Nerve Disorders

adams and victor's principles of neurology 11th edition Review 2020

The definitive guide to understanding, diagnosing, and treating neurologic disease – more complete, timely, and essential than ever

A Doody’s Core Title for 2020!

 

Adams and Victor’s Principles of Neurology is truly the classic text in its discipline --- a celebrated volume that guides clinicians to an in-depth understanding of the key aspects of neurologic disease, including both clinical and new scientific data. This meticulously revised and updated text remains the masterwork in its field, and the most readable reference available. Within its pages, you will find a disciplined presentation of clinical data and lucid descriptions of underlying disease processes.

 

Some of the features that have made this resource so renowned:

 

• The most cohesive and consistent approach to clinical management – acclaimed as the most readable book in the literature

• A scholarly approach that gives readers a comprehensive overview of every neurologic illness

• Unmatched coverage of signs and symptoms

• A focus on the full range of therapeutic options available to treat neurologic diseases, including drug therapy and rehabilitation methods

• Coverage of the most exciting discoveries and hypotheses of modern neuroscience that bear on and explain neurologic disease

• Puts the latest scientific discovery into a larger clinical context

• An evenness of style and a uniform approach to subject matter across disciplines that allows a quick and easy review of each topic and condition

• A rich, full-color presentation that includes many high-quality illustrations

 

The Eleventh Edition is enhanced by new coverage of :

 

• Interventional therapies for acute ischemic stroke

• Novel immunotherapies used to treat inflammatory and neoplastic conditions, and neurotoxicities associated with these drugs

• New drugs to treat epilepsy and multiple sclerosis

• Update of genetics of inherited metabolic disease

• Current understanding of the genetics of primary nervous system malignancies and their bearing on treatment

When Breath Becomes Air | Tale of a neurosurgeon | Book Review

‘At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet’, it is said. But one cannot say the same about Death. When Death arrives calling, not everyone stays brave or becomes a philosopher. Not all of us remain the proud humans that we are during our lifetimes, but go begging for another lease of life, no matter however brief that might be. Very few of us have the courage and composure to meet Death face-to-face, contemplate their life so far, take stock of their purpose and progress, and then, finally, do something that would fill them with the satisfaction of leaving behind something worthwhile, something that could set apart their sojourn on this planet from the billions of others. Paul Kalanithi’s was, fortunately or unfortunately, one such life that acquired a glowing purpose and meaning, sadly more during his final phase of life.

Paul Kalanithi was the second of three sons of an Indian couple settled in America. He had everything going for him. A comfortable life with family, marrying the love of his life, pursuing a career as special and as advanced as neurosurgery, reputation that could have landed him a plump career as soon as his training ended. But he also had something else too – lung cancer of an advanced stage. All his plans for the future suddenly vanished like mirage. With a life now cut short due to illness, Paul launched deeply into questions of existential nature, questions he had felt even while he was riding the crest of the tide.

This book is the answer to his questions about the meaning and purpose of human life. And, what an eloquent and poetic answer this has turned out to be! Published posthumously, this memoir recounts Paul’s early life in detail, telling us about what led to his decision to pursue a career in neuroscience, his early days as a resident surgeon and his ascent to glory. Then come the details of his illness, the various stages of cure that were tried and his frantic, determined quest to find the meaning for his life, whatever little was left of it. His wife Lucy’s epilogue is as fitting an end to the book as it could have been – beautiful, full of love and written more in a matter of fact manner than in a mawkish tone, just the same way in which Paul had written the whole book.

Life is a continuum and Death is a part of it, whether we like it or not. Death is in fact the only absolute certainty in the lives of everything, from the tiny sapling to the mightiest of stars. Just like the eyes ignore the nose that is in front of them, in order to give us an unhindered view of the world, our minds push that ineluctable reality behind so that we can plot our plans for decades until, of course, Death arrives calling, putting to waste our best-laid plans. The more we contemplate the meaning of our lives, the more we acknowledge what awaits us all in the end, and the more we chart the course of our lives accordingly, the easier it becomes for us to leave our mortal shells behind with dignity. Just the way Paul did.

2 Best Brain training exercises you can do at home.

Brain training may help improve your memory, response time, and logic skills, although research shows that the relationship between brain training games and improved cognitive function is complicated.

1.Sudoku

Sudoku is a number placement game that relies on short-term memory. To complete a Sudoku puzzle, you have to look ahead and follow trails of consequences—if you put a 6 in this box, that one must be an 8 and this one a 4, and so on. This type of planning helps improve short-term memory and concentration.

2.Crosswords

Crosswords are a classic brain trainer, accessing not only verbal language but memory from many dimensions of knowledge. There are many ways to do crossword puzzles, both online and off. If you receive a daily newspaper, you'll almost always get a crossword there. Or pick up a book of crosswords specifically suited to your skill level and interests.

5 best books on The Human Brain

The human mind is truly spectacular. It's the center of the nervous system-our body's headquarters-and it 's responsible for almost everything. It's important to know how your lifestyle affects your brain, and how you can make meaningful adjustments to encourage a healthy future. These books will help you understand how your mind functions, and how you can take control of your thoughts and actions

1.Unsafe Thinking

"Unsafe Thinking delivers an array of fresh insights on creativity, motivation, and staying in 'flow.' Packed with powerful case studies, it will propel you out of your rut and onto a path of better, sharper thinking."--Daniel H. Pink, author of When and To Sell Is Human

How can you challenge and change yourself when you need it most? We're creatures of habit, programmed by evolution to favor the safe and familiar, especially when the stakes are high. This bias no longer serves us in a world of constant change. In fact, today, safe thinking has become extremely dangerous.

2.How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us

The #1 New York Times bestseller.

A brilliant and brave investigation into the medical and scientific revolution taking place around psychedelic drugs--and the spellbinding story of his own life-changing psychedelic experiences

When Michael Pollan set out to research how LSD and psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) are being used to provide relief to people suffering from difficult-to-treat conditions such as depression, addiction, and anxiety, he did not intend to write what is undoubtedly his most personal book. But upon discovering how these remarkable substances are improving the lives not only of the mentally ill but also of healthy people coming to grips with the challenges of everyday life, he decided to explore the landscape of the mind in the first person as well as the third. Thus began a singular adventure into the experience of various altered states of consciousness, along with a dive deep into both the latest brain science and the thriving underground community of psychedelic therapists. Pollan sifts the historical record to separate the truth about these mysterious drugs from the myths that have surrounded them since the 1960s, when a handful of psychedelic evangelists catalyzed a powerful backlash against what was then a promising field of research.

3.Blueprint - How DNA Makes Us Who We Are

In Blueprint, behavioral geneticist Robert Plomin describes how the DNA revolution has made DNA personal by giving us the power to predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses from birth. A century of genetic research shows that DNA differences inherited from our parents are the consistent life-long sources of our psychological individuality―the blueprint that makes us who we are. This, says Plomin, is a game-changer. It calls for a radical rethinking of what makes us who were are.

4.The Brain The Story of You DAVID EAGLEMAN

Bestselling author and ‘the hottest thing in neuroscience’ (The Times), David Eagleman, takes readers on a fascinating and eye-opening journey into the world of the brain

‘This is the story of how your life shapes your brain, and how your brain shapes your life.’ Join renowned neuroscientist David Eagleman on a whistle-stop tour of the inner cosmos. It’s a journey that will take you into the world of extreme sports, criminal justice, genocide, brain surgery, robotics and the search for immortality. On the way, amidst the infinitely dense tangle of brain cells and their trillions of connections, something emerges that you might not have expected to see: you.

5.The Performance Cortex by Zach Schonbrun

In this book, journalist and sports writer Zach Schonbrun set out on a mission to discover what actually drives human movement. He interviews neuroscientists and other experts on motor control to understand how the brain’s motor control system works in extraordinary talented athletes like Stephen Curry, Tom Brady, Serena Williams, and Lionel Messi. The Performance Cortex offers us a new way of thinking about athleticism, and is a must-read for the cerebral sports fan.

Best diet for Alzheimer's disease | How to prevent Alzhimer's disease.

Scientists have found out a promising diet which is helpful in effectively preventing Alzheimer’s disease  by 50 percentage. This diet is called as Mind diet which was developed by RUSH university scientists. Free radicals are generated normally as the brain function. These are harmful substances to the brain. Mind diet reduces the amount of free radicals and thus prevents brain from the damaging chemical products.

10 food to be included in the diet 

This diet consists of 10 food items which are to be included regularly in the diet plan.

      ·      green leafy vegetables

·      other vegetables

·      nuts

·      beans

·      berries

·      poultry

·      whole grains

·      olive oil

·      fish

·      wine

5 foods to not recommended

·      butter and Margarine

·      red meat

·      cheese

·      sugar and pastries

·      fast food

Fruits and Vegetables - what they do?

Green leafy vegetables help in maintaining a healthy mind. Lutein, Vitamin k, folate those are all nutrients shown important to the brain. Berries especially blue berries reduce the number of dying neurons. and protect brain plenty of anti oxidants. Whole grains are very good source of vitamin E, folate and fibre. Those nutrients are found to protect the brain.

How much red wine to be taken to prevent the brain?

Red wine is found to be effective in reducing the speed of ageing of brain. Studies have shown that people who consumes wine in a moderate amount has shown a slower pace of cognitive decline as compared to those who do not consume at all. The recommended amount of intake is 1 glass/day for women and 2 glass per day for men. Obviously the excess intake is not good for the brain as well as other organs in the body.

Why No Red Meat But Poultry in the menu?

Red meat is the primary sources of saturated fat where as poultry is low in that. No more than 3 servings per week. Low in unsaturated fat. Too much of red meat causes instability to the blood brain barrier and allows dangerous chemicals to enter the brain and prevent good things to enter the brain.

I am a cheese lover. What to do now?

Cheese is to be limited in the diet as it consists of plenty of saturated fat. Don't worry. Researches have advised that low fat varieties of cheese can be taken instead.

People who stick to it even moderately has shown significantly low risk of alzheimer's disease. So try to follow this for a helathy brain.

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Does a heavier brain means better IQ | Does the size of brain matters?

Have you ever wondered what must be the weight of human brain?Is it true that if the persons weight of brain is more then the IQ is also high?

Well let’s find out.

An adult human brain contains 16 billion neurons and each neuron has interconnections with around 12,000 neurons. An average adult human brain weighs around 1400 to 1500 grams which is about 2% of the total body weight. But it consumes about 25 percent of whole oxygen requirement.

A newborn's brain is about 300-400 grams. 

Adult brain is about 15 cm long.

Who is having the world record for the heaviest brain?

Ivan Turgenev  a russian novelist has the world record for the heaviest brain and it was found that it was about 2012 grams. But this is not an official record. We must assume that since he had the heaviest rain he should have the highest IQ the world ever has seen. But the fact is not the same. There is no correlation between the weight of the brain and the person's IQ.

For example Anatole France who was a famous French novelist had a brain which weighed only about 1150 g. But still he won the Nobel prize for literature in 1924.

Albert Einstein who is one of the most intelligent man the world ever has seen didn’t have the heaviest brain in the world.

In Britain in 1890s there was a guy with a brain weighing 1830 g but he spent most of his life in a psychiatric hospital.

So it is clear that there is no relationship between the weight of the brain and the intelligence quotient.

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