What are the brain circuits that not only keep us alive but also allow us to thrive in our complex world, and how do even subtle disturbances within these circuits lead to abnormal behavior? Using a combination of research strategies—including neuroimaging (particularly fMRI) and abnormal and clinical psychology—this new textbook addresses these timely and important questions for students of the biological, clinical, and social sciences as well as interested students from fields within the humanities, such as philosophy. Looking Inside the Disordered Brain provides students with a working knowledge of our rapidly evolving understanding of the foundational brain circuits supporting human social, emotional, and cognitive behavior, and describes how disruptions within these circuits are associated with symptoms of common psychiatric disorders. It first establishes how specific anatomical circuits process signals we receive from our ever-changing internal and external environments to create order in our behavior. It then looks inside the disordered brain and maps specific symptoms onto dysfunction within these circuits. The textbook features three neuroanatomical circuits (corticolimbic; corticostriatal; corticohippocampal) and their principal behavioral correlates (recognition and reaction; motivation and action; memory and executive control), as well as the pathological expression of dysfunction within each circuit (including depression, anxiety, phobia, mania, addiction, aggression, and disintegration of thought). The author emphasizes the dimensional nature of psychopathology by mapping specific symptoms within a broad diagnostic category onto disorder of the circuitry under review. For example, in major depressive disorder the symptoms of anxiety are mapped onto corticolimbic circuit dysfunction, the symptoms of anhedonia onto corticostriatal circuit dysfunction, and the symptoms of emotion dysregulation onto corticohippocampal circuit dysfunction. This is an effective strategy for introducing students to the limitations of categorical/diagnostic classifications (e.g., DSM-5) and highlighting the importance of considering behavior on a continuum from normal to abnormal.

A Nobel Prize–winning neuroscientist’s probing investigation of what brain disorders can tell us about human nature Eric R. Kandel, the winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his foundational research into memory storage in the brain, is one of the pioneers of modern brain science. His work continues to shape our understanding of how learning and memory work and to break down age-old barriers between the sciences and the arts. In his seminal new book, The Disordered Mind, Kandel draws on a lifetime of pathbreaking research and the work of many other leading neuroscientists to take us on an unusual tour of the brain. He confronts one of the most difficult questions we face: How does our mind, our individual sense of self, emerge from the physical matter of the brain? The brain’s 86 billion neurons communicate with one another through very precise connections. But sometimes those connections are disrupted. The brain processes that give rise to our mind can become disordered, resulting in diseases such as autism, depression, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder. While these disruptions bring great suffering, they can also reveal the mysteries of how the brain produces our most fundamental experiences and capabilities—the very nature of what it means to be human. Studies of autism illuminate the neurological foundations of our social instincts; research into depression offers important insights on emotions and the integrity of the self; and paradigm-shifting work on addiction has led to a new understanding of the relationship between pleasure and willpower. By studying disruptions to typical brain functioning and exploring their potential treatments, we will deepen our understanding of thought, feeling, behavior, memory, and creativity. Only then can we grapple with the big question of how billions of neurons generate consciousness itself.

Disordered Minds offers a compelling and timely account of the dangers posed by narcissistic leaders, and provides a stark warning that the conditions in which this psychopathy flourishes - extremes of social inequality and a culture of hyper-individualism - are the hallmarks of our present age. 'An excellent account of how malignant narcissism is evident in the lives of the great dictators, and how the conditions in which this psychopathy flourishes have returned to haunt us.' Dr Kieran Keohane, editor of The Social Pathologies of Contemporary Civilization

The Disordered Mind: An Introduction to Philosophy of Mind and Mental Illness, second edition examines and explains, from a philosophical standpoint, what mental disorder is: its reality, causes, consequences, and more. It is also an outstanding introduction to philosophy of mind from the perspective of mental disorder. Revised and updated throughout, this second edition includes new discussions of grief and psychopathy, the problems of the psychophysical basis of disorder, the nature of selfhood, and clarification of the relation between rationality and mental disorder. Each chapter explores a central question or problem about mental disorder, including: what is mental disorder and can it be distinguished from neurological disorder? what roles should reference to psychological, cultural, and social factors play in the medical/scientific understanding of mental disorder? what makes mental disorders undesirable? Are they diseases? mental disorder and the mind-body problem is mental disorder a breakdown of rationality? What is a rational mind? addiction, responsibility and compulsion ethical dilemmas posed by mental disorder, including questions of dignity and self-respect. Each topic is clearly explained and placed in a clinical and philosophical context. Mental disorders discussed include clinical depression, dissociative identity disorder, anxiety, religious delusions, and paranoia. Several non-mental neurological disorders that possess psychological symptoms are also examined, including Alzheimer's disease, Down's syndrome, and Tourette's syndrome. Containing chapter summaries and suggestions for further reading at the end of each chapter, The Disordered Mind, second edition is a superb introduction to the philosophy of mental disorder for students of philosophy, psychology, psychiatry, and related mental health professions.

In Trouble in Mind, neuropsychologist Jenni Ogden, author of Fractured Minds, transports the reader into the world of some of her most memorable neurological patients as she explores with compassion, insight, and vivid description the human side of brain damage. These are tales of patients who, as the result of stroke, brain tumor, car crash, or neurological disease, begin thinking and behaving strangely, and with their loved ones' support embark on the long journey to recovery, acceptance of disability and sometimes, death. There is Luke, the gang member who loses his speech but finds he can still sing his favorite blues number "Trouble in Mind," and HM, who teaches the world about memory and becomes the most studied single case in medical history. You will meet Julian, who misplaces his internal map of the human body, and Melody, a singer who risks losing her song when she undergoes brain surgery to cure her epilepsy. Then there is Kim with a severe head injury, and Sophie who has just enough time to put her house in order before Alzheimer's dementia steals her insight. For these and the many other patients whose stories are told in this book, the struggle to understand their disordered minds and disobedient bodies takes extraordinary courage, determination, and patience. For health professionals and researchers working with these patients, the ethical and emotional challenges can be as demanding as the intellectual and treatment decisions they make daily. Trouble In Mind is written in an accessible narrative style that is both accurate and intimate. It will be enjoyed by readers -- whether students, researchers, or professionals in mental health and neuroscience, patients with neurological disorders and their families, or general readers -- who want to learn more about brain disorders and the doctors who care for those who suffer them.