The ghost in my brain : how a concussion stole my life and how the new science of brain plasticity helped me get it back / Clark Elliott, PhD.

Title
The ghost in my brain : how a concussion stole my life and how the new science of brain plasticity helped me get it back / Clark Elliott, PhD.

ISBN
9780525426561

Personal Author
Elliott, Clark (Scientist)

Publication Information
New York : Viking, 2015.

Physical Description
xxiv, 312 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Contents
Part 1: Concussion. Midnight ; The size of the problem : the magnificence of the human brain ; Through the kaleidoscope ; The crash ; Something is wrong ; Do you know your name? ; Word maps gone awry ; Why are you here? ; Apple, scarf, tree -- Part 2: The components of cognition. Background ; The human machine is broken ; Balance in the symbolic world ; Visual/spatial patterns, shapes, relationships ; Time is a metaphor ; The building blocks of cognition and the metacognitive voice ; At least we can laugh : pain and humor ; Processing the audio signal ; Social challenges ; Physical changes ; Spiraling downward -- Part 3: The ghost returns. Meet Dr. Dots! ; Brain glasses ; The ghost -- Part 4: The science of brain plasticity. Donalee Markus and her designs for strong minds ; Deborah Zelinsky and the mind-eye connection.

Summary
"The dramatic story of one man's recovery offers new hope to those suffering from concussions and other brain traumas. In 1999, Clark Elliott suffered a concussion when his car was rear-ended. Overnight his life changed from that of a rising professor with a research career in artificial intelligence to a humbled man struggling to get through a single day. At times he couldn't walk across a room, or even name his five children. Doctors told him he would never fully recover. After eight years, the cognitive demands of his job, and of being a single parent, finally became more than he could manage. As a result of one final effort to recover, he crossed paths with two brilliant Chicago-area research-clinicians--one an optometrist emphasizing neurodevelopmental techniques, the other a cognitive psychologist--working on the leading edge of brain plasticity. Within weeks the ghost of who he had been started to re-emerge. Remarkably, Elliott kept detailed notes throughout his experience, from the moment of impact to the final stages of his recovery, astounding documentation that is the basis of this fascinating book. The Ghost in My Brain gives hope to the millions who suffer from head injuries each year, and provides a unique and informative window into the world's most complex computational device: the human brain"-- Provided by publisher.

Personal Subject
Elliott, Clark-Mental health

Subject Term
Amnesiacs--United States -- Biography
 
Brain -- Concussion -- Complications--United States

Genre
Autobiographies

Electronic Access
Cover image 9780525426561.jpg

OCLC Number
ocn893895150

Availability
Lakeville - Heritage~1


LibraryMaterial TypeCall NumberStatus
Lakeville - HeritageBook617.481 EllioNon-Fiction