A Cursing Brain ? – The Histories of Tourette Syndrome - Hardcover

Kushner, Howard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0674180224 ISBN 13: 9780674180222

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1999

Synopsis

In the mid-19th century, a French physician reported the bizarre behaviour of a young aristocratic woman who would suddenly, without warning, erupt in a startling fit of obscene shouts and curses. Tourette syndrome is a set of behavours, including recurrent ticcing and involuntary shouting (sometimes cursing) as well as obsessive-compulsive actions. The history of this syndrome, as described in this text, reveals how cultural and medical assumptions have determined and radically altered its characterization and treatment from the early-19th century to the late 1990s. This text traces the problematic classification through three distinct but overlapping stories: that of the claims of medical knowledge, that of patients' experiences, and that of cultural expectations and assumptions. Earlier research asserted that the bizarre ticcing and impromptu vocalizations were psychological - resulting from sustained bad habits or lack of self-control. However, now patients exhibiting these behaviours are seen as suffering from a neurological disease and generally are treated with drug therapy.

About this title

Review

Kushner combines the virtues of a detective story with those of a well-documented medical history in a fascinating narrative of the development of the knowledge about, treatments of, and medical and lay attitudes toward Tourette's Syndrome (TS) patients. The word "histories" in the subtitle points to a major TS reality. Many theories of TS have led into blind alleys and disputes that have not been resolved. Kushner takes us down these paths and brings to life the investigators and propagandists who sought data or pushed their own views with little to back them up. He shows us that even the name of the malady appeared and disappeared as psychological and organic causes rose and fell in favor. Many who intend merely to sample the scholarly book may wind up devouring it.--William Beatty "Booklist "

From the Back Cover

Tourette syndrome is a set of behaviors, including recurrent ticcing and involuntary shouting (sometimes cursing) as well as obsessive-compulsive actions. A Cursing Brain? traces the problematic classification of the syndrome through three distinct but overlapping stories: the claims of medical knowledge, the experiences of patients, and the force of cultural expectations and assumptions.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0674180224
• ISBN 13: 9780674180222
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 312