The Brain That Changes Itself PDF Free Download

The book that I’m going to review is The Brain that Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D. Dr. Doidge is a Canadian psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who has also conducted research based on topics such as neuroplasticity and psychotherapy treatments. In Dr. Doidge’s book, you get a glimpse of the magic of neuroscience through the phenomenon of neuroplasticity through inspiring stories from real patients. You will be touched by neuroplasticity and its ability to gain some hope in people who are discouraged by their neurological conditions. Dr. Norman Doidge along with his colleagues will show experiments conducted with real patients to help them go through their conditions. He shows how adaptable the human brain really is and that the different parts of it don’t have their designated, fixed functions.
The Brain That Changes Itself by Dr. Norman Doidge, M.D. is a book that shows the brain’s ability to change itself. We see that through stories about scientists and doctors who help patients transform their neurological conditions. The stories come from different patients with different types of brain disabilities. They either participated in experiments to test and improve their abilities or have gone through their transformations in other ways. For years the belief that the brain’s anatomy is fixed was considered true. If different parts of the brain were unable to function, they were now considered pointless and carried no function. If brain cells failed to develop effectively, there was no way they could be replaced. This lead to the theory that a person with a brain disability or that suffered brain damage would be damaged for life. However, Dr. Doidge has met scientists that have made discoveries regarding neuroplasticity. If certain parts of the brain failed, other parts can take over and perform that certain function. This book provides proof of real life stories that show that damaged parts of the brain can reorganize themselves and perform different functions that they’re not used to performing.The Brain That Changes Itself PDF
When I read this book, I noticed that each chapter was a different story from a different patient based on their distinct brain disability. It would also talk about how their brain condition came about and their experience towards it. It would first provide the patient’s name and the condition they have, along with any obstacles they face in their everyday lives. For example, in the first chapter of The Brain That Changes Itself, it introduces a woman named Cheryl Schiltz. The book states, “Cheryl Schiltz feels like she’s perpetually falling. And because she feels like she’s falling, she falls.” As you can see the audience already gets a sense of her condition without reading any other further information. The chapter continues by talking about how Cheryl has difficulty standing up without support and then she immediately falls. But as soon as she falls, she still doesn’t feel like she has hit rock bottom yet. The chapter then goes in depth about the specific disability the patient has and what parts are being affected. For example, the book talks about how Cheryl’s vestibular apparatus isn’t working and how the signals don’t communicate with her nerves very well. The chapters in this book make sure to explain their condition in a neurological perspective to show the relationship between neurons and their condition. Then the chapter transfers to the experimental aspect where Dr. Doidge and his colleagues experiment to find something that may benefit the patient and accommodate them. For example, Dr. Doidge brings out a brain plasticity specialist named Paul Bach-y-Rita and biophysicist Yuri Danilov. To conduct an experiment on Cheryl. They make a construction hat with holes and a device inside it to measure her movement. The chapter then talks about her experience when using this device and how it helped her keep her balance. Then the chapter goes back to the past when Cheryl was first diagnosed with this condition at the hospital. She received news that the condition was permanent. The chapter then talks about how content she was after putting on the helmet. Dr. Doidge then received news that Cheryl used this helmet on her own at home and saw results. She saw that she was standing for hours and the results turned into months. The chapters usually end with the patient’s results in the long run. The science behind the experiments Dr. Doidge and his colleagues do for the patients is accurate because most of the time they do it in a lab setting, and work on machines that can help them through their disability. Dr. Doidge makes claims about how what they’re working on can help the patient’s disability and that is shown when Cheryl’s helmet was being made. He emphasized that this will improve her balance and keep her from falling. The explanations about how the person’s condition will improve is descriptive and talks about it through neuronal pathways. There are also explanations as to why their experiment is being done and what materials they will be using. They describe every aspect of the experiment so the reader can know how it links to their condition. Cheryl’s story is one of many inspiring stories found in this book. By combining many different stories about patients with varying neural disabilities, it can show the reader the magic of brain plasticity and how life changing it can be to people. It may lead them to see how these experiments can lead up to life changing accommodations.
Like previously said, the book is full of chapters that consist in real patient stories and how they overcome it with these experiments. We can see that specific parts of the brain may shut down, but other parts can step in and do the job. With Cheryl’s story, the reader feels as if they are going through this journey alongside the patient, doctors, and scientists. Each chapter talks about a variety of things, but it will intrigue the reader so they know what’s going on, especially on a neuronal level. This book is excellent for people who are into neuroscience and how brain plasticity may change the lives of individuals.The Brain That Changes Itself PDF