Profiles in Dementia: David Cassidy (1950 – 2017)

Nov22

David CassidyDavid Cassidy was a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, who catapulted to fame as Keith Partridge in the 1970’s television show The Partridge Family.

Although Cassidy aspired to have the musical chops and freedom of Mick Jagger (The Rolling Stones) and John Lennon and Paul McCartney (The Beatles), his long-running stint on The Partridge Family relegated him to performing “bubblegum” music. It was something he hated, but depended on after the TV series ended to continue to make a living. Continue reading →

Profiles in Dementia: Malcolm Young (1953 – 2017)

Nov21

Malcolm Young suffered from alcohol-related dementiaMalcolm Young, along with his younger brother Angus, founded AC/DC, one of the first metal rock groups, in 1973.

AC/DC quickly gained traction with its driving rhythm and shouted vocals and moved into the spotlight of the music scene after just a couple of years in the recording studio.
Continue reading →

Book Review: “When Breath Becomes Air” by Paul Kalanithi

Nov8

When Breath Becomes AirWhen Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When an English major turned neurosurgeon quotes from The Waste Land liberally and with comprehension (The Waste Land, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock, and The Hollow Men are my three favorite T. S. Eliot poems, with The Hollow Men being the closest to my soul) and I see my own connection that seeks deeper understanding that has grown from literature (mind) to neuroscience (the brain), I am immediately drawn more intimately into his story. Continue reading →

Profiles in Dementia: Barbara Foraker (1944 – 2017)

Oct24

Barbara Foraker, and her husband, Larry, were good friends of my parents.

Barbara Louise Foraker, 73, passed away during the early morning hours of 21 October 2017. Natural causes, stemming from her ongoing battle with Lewy Body Dementia, contributed to her death. She endured a rapid and unexpected decline in her health over the past month, after experiencing a fall. Continue reading →

Book Reviews – “Solitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World” – by Michael Harris

Oct3

Solitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded WorldSolitude: In Pursuit of a Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading and totally relating to Michael Harris’
The End of Absence: Reclaiming What We’ve Lost in a World of Constant Connection, this book went to the top of my reading list as soon as it was published. Continue reading →

The Neurological Legacy of 9/11 on First Responders: PTSD, Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia

Sep11

9/11/01 Collapse of Tower 2 of the World Trade CenterWhile most reports on the long-term health effects on first responders to the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center in New York City have focused on physical damage – increased rates of severe respiratory conditions and incidences of cancer – often leading to premature death, it has only been within the last month that the long-term neurological effects have been examined and documented. Continue reading →

Book Review – “Patient H. M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets” by Luke Dittrich

Sep8

Patient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family SecretsPatient H.M.: A Story of Memory, Madness, and Family Secrets by Luke Dittrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In my neurological and neuroscience research and reading over the last several years, Patient H.M. came up frequently, but with very little detail except that his postmortem brain was used to do the most extensive open source brain map to date and that he suffered from profound amnesia. Continue reading →