The Yipping Tiger: And Other Tales from the Neuropsychiatric Clinic

by Sachdev, Perminder S.

• ISBN13: 9780801894541
• ISBN10: 0801894549
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2010-01-01
• Publisher: JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV PRESS

Summary

This fascinating collection of case studies from neuropsychiatrist Perminder Sachdev offers unparalleled insight into the intricate processes of the human brain. From golfer's yip (involuntary wrist movements) and Tourette's syndrome to phantom limbs and anorexia nervosa, these case studies reveal the latest research on brain disorders and injuries as well as the challenges they pose for both doctor and patient. Drawn from decades of treating patients, these ten stories include some of the author's most difficult and rewarding cases.Engagingly written and reflecting both Sachdev's empathy for the patients and his ability to explain complex science, this highly readable book will appeal to anyone interested in the mysterious workings of the human brain.

Author Biography

Perminder Sachdev, M.D., is director of the Neuropsychiatric Institute at the Prince of Wales Hospital and a professor of neuropsychiatry at the University of South Wales. He is the author of Akathisia and Restless Legs and the editor of The Ageing Brain: The Neurobiology and Neuropsychiatry of Ageing and the forthcoming Secondary Schizophrenia.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vi
The Yipping Tiger	p. 1
Shaking hands with Dr Strangelove	p. 23
Swearing like a Spanish sailor	p. 51
The Mozart complex	p. 72
The mirror always lies	p. 99
The dead homunculus	p. 122
Serotonin's seductive song	p. 146
A chesty problem	p. 184
Lord Nelson's ghost	p. 212
Freudian slips and semantic slides	p. 232
Notes	p. 259
Index	p. 280
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

The golf swing is an act of grace and supreme poise. An enthusiastic golfer, driving a tiny ball down a sly green toward an elusive hole, does not perhaps realize that the stroke he executes in a fraction of a second is the result of the coordinated action of hundreds of muscles, all orchestrated to the finest degree to the tune of play... What part of the brain conducts this orchestra so masterfully, and how does it do so? If there is indeed a "golf conductor" in the brain, where is it located and how does it come to be there?...

I first came face to face with these questions when I saw Henry P. in my clinic. It was a peculiar consultation, as Henry walked in without a referral note and declared that he knew there was nothing wrong with him medically. But, could I help his golf?...

His problem, he said, was that he suffered from the "yips." "I am a scratch player, with one ambition in life—to make my mark as a professional golfer... I was set to turn pro until it happened about a year ago... I got the yips. The dreams of challenging Tiger Woods quickly deteriorated into nightmares of yipped putts. My family calls me The Yipping Tiger, and that's not much of a roar!"