
Brainspotting
Adventures in Neurology
A.J. Lees(Author)
Notting Hill Editions (Publisher)
Published on 22. March 2022
Book
Hardback
168 pages
978-1-912559-36-7 (ISBN)
Description
As a trainee doctor, Andrew Lees was enthralled by his mentors: esteemed neurologists who combined the precision of mathematicians, the scrupulosity of entomologists and the solemnity of undertakers in their diagnoses and treatments. For them, there was no such thing as an unexplained symptom or psychosomatic problem-no difficult cases, only interesting ones-and it was only a matter of time before all disorders of the brain would be understood in terms of anatomical, electrical, and chemical connections.
Today, this kind of "holistic neurology" is on the brink of extinction as a slavish adherence to protocols and algorithms-plus a worship of machines-runs the risk of destroying the key foundational clinical skills of listening, observation and imagination that have been at the heart of the discipline for over 150 years.
In this series of brilliant, insightful, and autobiographical essays, Andrew Lees takes us on a kind of Sherlock Holmes tour of neurology, giving the reader insight into-and a defense of-the deep analytical tools that the best neurologists still rely on to diagnose patients: to heal minds and to fix brains.
Today, this kind of "holistic neurology" is on the brink of extinction as a slavish adherence to protocols and algorithms-plus a worship of machines-runs the risk of destroying the key foundational clinical skills of listening, observation and imagination that have been at the heart of the discipline for over 150 years.
In this series of brilliant, insightful, and autobiographical essays, Andrew Lees takes us on a kind of Sherlock Holmes tour of neurology, giving the reader insight into-and a defense of-the deep analytical tools that the best neurologists still rely on to diagnose patients: to heal minds and to fix brains.
Reviews / Votes
"A. J. Lees's exquisitely produced Brainspotting is a gem... Alongside this genial recounting of his approach to his work, Lees offers sketches of neurologists by whom he was taught or who have influenced his thinking and recollections of institutions where he has worked... I loved this book. If ever I fall victim to a neurological disorder, I can only hope to God I come under the benign and intelligent care of Lees." -- Salley Vickers * Literary Review * "A fascinating and riveting book. A.J. Lees is that rare phenomenon: a literary stylist of the first rank who combines a fine aesthetic sensibility with deep scientific knowledge... After reading this book, you will never feel the same about the words mind, body and soul." -- Andrew Hussey "An exceptional compendium of marvellous phenomena that can captivate the imagination of students and neurologists to this day. . . . Lees' writing style combines anatomical precision with ethereal poetry, which is reflected in his practice and teachings. . . . Brainspotting is a vibrant testimony of Lees' love for clinical neurology, the value of observation in a world of randomised trials, and a melancholic battle cry against hasty, profit-driven, virtual, touchless, 'scan-negative' medicine. The book reminds us that the art of clinical neurology allows for remarkable discoveries nearly everywhere, provided that our senses remain open and clear." * The Lancet * 'Lees was an enthusiastic naturalist as a child, and believes that his hobby trained him in the sort of discriminating pattern recognition you need to practise as a professional diagnostician... A lifetime of practising neurology has helped him accept the "arbitrary and often brutal nature" of diseases of the brain, and MS in particular, which he singles out for the deceptive way in which it can attack, recede, then return with renewed vigour, its symptoms changing with each new episode.' -- Gavin Francis * London Review of Books *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Black and white illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 192 mm
Width: 118 mm
Thickness: 15 mm
Weight
208 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-912559-36-7 (9781912559367)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
03/2022
Notting Hill Editions
€10.80
Available for download
Person
A.J. Lees is a professor of neurology at the National Hospital, London. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the American Academy of Neurology Lifetime Achievement Award, the Association of British Neurologists' Medal, the Dingebauer Prize for outstanding research, and the Gowers Medal. He is one of the three most highly cited Parkinson's disease researchers in the world. He is the author of several books, including the Notting Hill Editions titles Mentored by a Madman and Brazil That Never Was.