The Human Illnesses

Peter Williamson:Tanna Schulich Chair in Neuroscience and Mental Health, Schulich School of Medicine, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario; author of Mind, Brain, and Schizophrenia (OUP, 2006)John M. Allman:Hixon Professor of Neurobiology,California Institute of Technology, Division of BiologyPasadena, CA

• Table of ContentsChapter 1- The Human IllnessesJohn Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911)Emil Kraepelin (1856-1926)Leo Kanner (1894-1981)Arnold Pick (1851-1924)Current DSM-IV-TR ClassificationDebates about the Usefulness of Current ClassificationsCould the Human Brain Tell Us Something about these Disorders?Overview of the Volume Chapter 2- Background on the BrainBrain DevelopmentRelevant Brain RegionsNeuronal Circuits Related to Learning New BehaviorsNeuronal Circuits Related to Emotional RegulationSummary Chapter 3- Unique Aspects of the Human BrainThe Emergence of Homo SapiensBrain Size and MorphologyAre There Unique Cell Types?Genetic StudiesHuman Cognition Compared to Non-human CognitionConsciousnessSummary Chapter 4- SchizophreniaEpidemiology and Natural CourseNeuropsychological FindingsElectrophysiological FindingsNeurotransmitter AbnormalitiesNeuropathological StudiesGenetic InvestigationsBrain Imaging StudiesSchizophrenia, Increased Apolipoprotein L-1, and Resistance to Trypanosome Brain InfectionOverview Chapter 5- Bipolar DisordersEpidemiology and Natural CourseNeuropsychological FindingsPsychophysiological FindingsNeurotransmitter AbnormalitiesNeuropathological StudiesGenetic InvestigationsBrain Imaging StudiesDepression and InflammationOverview Chapter 6- Autism, ADHD and Anorexia NervosaAutism - Epidemiology and Natural CourseNeuropsychological FindingsPsychophysiological FindingsNeurotransmitter AbnormalitiesNeuropathological StudiesGenetic InvestigationsBrain Imaging StudiesAttention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)Anorexia Nervosa, Self-awareness and Autism Spectrum DisordersOverview Chapter 7- Frontotemporal DementiaEpidemiology and Natural CourseNeuropsychological FindingsNeuropathological StudiesGenetic InvestigationsBrain Imaging StudiesOverview Chapter 8- Self-monitoring SystemsSelf-monitoring SystemsBrain Imaging Studies of Self-awarenessCorollary Discharge SystemsTheory of MindDefault NetworkOverview Chapter 9- Language SystemsThe Nature of LanguageDo primates have language? Imaging LanguageLanguage Anomalies in Neuropsychiatric DisordersLanguage Cannot Be Considered in Isolation Chapter 10- Affective Processing and the Social BrainEmotional Processing in AnimalsNeurobiology of Emotions in HumansThe Social BrainSelf-awareness, Empathy and IntuitionEating Together and the Complex Social EmotionsImplications for Neuropsychiatric DisordersNeuropsychiatric Disorders and Genetic ImpriningOverview Chapter 11- Why Do We Have These Disorders?Representation in the Human BrainSchizophreniaBipolar DisorderAutismFrontotemporal DementiaNeuropsychiatric Disorders and the Representional BrainGenetic CorrelatesOverview Chapter 12- ImplicationsThe Search for Final Common PathwaysShould We Give Up on Gene Studies?What do Neuropsychiatric Disorders Tell Us About the Human Brain?What about Other Neuropsychiatric Disorders?The Default Network and the Representational BrainThe Represenational Brain, Attentional Networks and Human AwarenessHow Do the Representional Brain Control Systems Work?Is the Represenational Brain Unique to Humans?Von Economo Neurons and Brain DevelopmentSome Limitations of Current Brain ImagingA Final Thought

The thesis of the book is reasonable and there is a need to integrate findings from genetics, imaging, neuroscience, and neurocognition into a comprehensive model. Regardless of whether readers agree or disagree with the premise, this will certainly be a step in the right direction. --S. Kristian Hill, PhD Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Neuropsychologist Department of Psychiatry and Center for Magnetic Resonance Research University of Illinois at Chicago"The thesis is certainly provocative, worth elaborating in a book." --Gunvant Thaker, MD Professor of Psychiatry University of Maryland School of Medicine Chief, Schizophrenia Disorders Maryland Psychiatric Research Center Associate Editor, Schizophrenia Bulletin"This spellbinding new book, which presents an important theory of the etiology of the major neuropsychiatric disorders, may be a significant contribution, particularly since the hypotheses are testable. However, only studies and time will tell. I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in the brain and the mind." -- Doody's"Williamson and Allman provide an array of current research findings on the neurophysiology, anatomy, and genetics of common mental disorders as well as evolutionary explanations of the neuroscience underlying cognitive processes such as language, representational thought, and the theory of mind." -- PsycCRITIQUES"The volume is a compact, captivating, and current update of vital scientific advances that reflect upon the uniqueness of the human brain, mind, and condition. I highly recommend this book to students and practioners of neurology, psychiatry, and neuropsychiatry as well as to others interested in understanding the unique nature of the remarkable human brain." -- Stuart C. Yudofsky, M.D. The American Jouranl of Psychiatry