Film directors recognize that neurologic disease impacts mind and motility and often use it in a plot or defining scene. It should be informative and educational to deconstruct neurologic representation in film. Neurocinema: When Film Meets Neurology is a collection of film essays that summarize the portrayal of major neurologic syndromes and clinical signs in cinema. Many films approach the reality of disease quite closely, and as a result, are deeply moving and memorable. Equally important, these films say as much about consequences as they say about the disorder. Therefore, the main themes include sudden confrontation with a major neurologic illness, disability from chronic neurologic disease, and failure to lead a normal life. More than 100 fiction films and documentaries are discussed in this completely original and definitive work on how film meets neurology. The book includes nearly 50 neurology topics, explains them, and places them in a broader context. The book is accessible for all health care workers and general readership. Reviews "…should be required reading for all neurologists." —Howard S. Kirshner, MD, Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University in Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology "This volume is written with passion, and the author’s real affection for the cinema seeps from every page. This book is not just for film buffs … We should all watch and learn." —Sallie Baxendale, UCL Institute of Neurology in The Lancet Neurology Table of Contents Medicine in Film Portrayal of Hospitals Portrayal of Doctors Portrayal of Diseases Conclusion The Neurologist in Film The Founder of Neurology—Charcot —in Film Modern Neurologists in Film Conclusion Neurologic Disorders in Film Introducing Main Themes Coma in Film Traumatic Brain Injury in Film Stroke in Film Locked-In Syndrome in Film Brain Tumor in Film Meningitis in Film Encephalitis Lethargica in Film Spinal Cord Injury in Film Poliomyelitis in Film Multiple Sclerosis in Film Motor Neuron Disease in Film Leprosy in Film Amnesia in Film Headache in Film Sleep Disorders in Film Seizures in Film Cerebral Palsy in Film Autism Spectrum Disorders in Film Tourette’s Syndrome in Film Dementia in Film Parkinson’s Disease in Film Neurogenetics in Film Neuroethics in Film Introducing Main Themes Physician-Assisted Suicide in Film Self-Determination in Film Withdrawal of Support from Brain Injury in Film Family Conflicts on Level of Care in Film Brain Death and Organ Donation in Film Institutionalizing in Film Experimentation in Film Compassion Failure in Film Neurologic Disorders in Documentary Film Introduction of Main Themes Dementia in Documentary Film Huntington’s Disease in Documentary Film Multiple Sclerosis in Documentary Motor Neuron Disease in Documentary Film Aphasia after Stroke in Documentary Film Poliomyelitis in Documentary Film Traumatic Brain Injury in Film Rehabilitation in Film Neurofollies in Film Introducing Main Themes Enter the Mind Psychic after Coma Total Amnesia Enhancing Brain Function Intellectual Disability to Genius Superintelligence Violent Seizures Computer-Assisted Neuronal Activity Mind Control Brain Preservation A Final Word Epilogue: The Neurology of Cinema Neurocinema and Actors The Book and What It Means How To Watch and Read a Neuro Film Conclusion Appendix: Neurofilmography Eelco Wijdicks is a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine. He is the chair of the Division of Critical Care Neurology and an attending neurointensivist at Mayo Clinic Hospital, Saint Marys Campus. He has written numerous books and scientific articles on the clinical practice of neurocritical care. He is enamored with cinema and neurologic representation in fiction and documentary films. Dr. Wijdicks has written film reviews for Neurology Today and THE LANCET Neurology. He is the author of a major publication on the portrayal of coma in film and its potential effect on the viewing public. |