Author(s): Jon Palfreyman

Science

"An excellent grasp on the science...but it is as a human story that the book is most compelling..." (TLS). Seven million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson's, with more men having the disease than women. Yet it remains an enigma, with doctors, researchers and patients hunting for a cure. In Brain Storms the award-winning journalist and veteran TV producer, Jon Palfreman, tells their stories, stories that take on a particular urgency since he himself has been diagnosed with the illness. Palfreman chronicles how scientists have laboured to crack the mystery of what was once called the 'shaking palsy', from the earliest clinical descriptions to the cutting edge of molecular neuroscience. He charts the victories and setbacks of a massive international effort to get the better of the disease, referred to as one of the best windows into the brain itself. Brain Storms is also a profoundly personal investigation into Palfreman's own struggles and those of others living with Parkinson's. The race is on to stop or reverse conditions like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Brain Storms is the long-overdue, riveting detective story of that race, and a passionate, insightful account of the lives of those affected.