Now, let us first know why this condition is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome;

Charles Bonnet was a Swiss philosopher who first described the syndrome in 1760. He described visual hallucinations experienced by his 87-year-old grandfather who was blind to cataracts in both eyes but was visualizing men, women, birds, buildings, and patterns in his surroundings. He was very frightened of this situation and considered it primarily as a psychotic disorder. But after a very detailed and extensive diagnosis, he was found completely fine both physically and mentally though the source of the hallucination remained unknown. 200 years after this documentation, French-Swiss Neurologist Dr. Georges de Morsier named this condition Charles Bonnet Syndrome in Bonnet’s honor.

What Causes Charles Bonnet Syndrome?

It’s strange, right? how can a blind person visualize??

Alright, let me explain…

For a normal person with healthy vision, light enters the eye and is received by the retina and then the retina converts the visual images to visual messages. Those messages are then transferred to the optic lobe of the brain by the optic nerve which is subsequently followed by image analysis. When a person starts losing their vision because of some ophthalmological conditions such as glaucoma, cataract, diabetic retinopathy, eye injury, etc, our brain gets confused because of the interruption of visual image data. Without visual data coming in through the eyes, the brain starts filling up the void spaces (of visual image signal) and makes up fantasy patterns, images, or recalls stored images which cause the person to have hallucinations. These visual hallucinations in a blind person are known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome or CBS.

Symptoms of Charles Bonnet Syndrome:

Visual hallucination or closed-eye hallucination in a blind person is considered the main symptom of CBS. The hallucinations can occur at any time but studies have suggested that the effect of hallucination increases at night or when the person stays in low-light areas. The first few episodes of hallucinations in CBS usually make the person frightened, sometimes complex hallucinations make it very difficult to judge exactly where you are standing and whether you can walk straight or not. Distorted room images, walking people, animals, imaginary creatures, and sudden unknown pattern makes it very strange and disturbing. Another interesting part of these hallucinations is that they are not always colorful, sometimes they can be black and white too. The length of hallucinations can last for seconds and can even stay for hours. Although with episodes becoming shorter and less frequent CBS can improve over time.

Diagnosis of CBS:

Symptoms are the main link to diagnosing CBS as no specific tests exist for this condition. Retina testing is one way to detect the cause of blindness, as without eye blindness or vision loss CBS does not occur. Subsequently, some other tests are done to rule out if any other physiological conditions exist which can cause hallucinations. And if the person finds to have vision loss and visual hallucinations without having a neurological and psychological condition then they are most likely to be diagnosed with CBS.

Treatment:

Till now there is no cure or treatment available for CBS. Normal medications that are used to treat other types of hallucinations do not work in the case of Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Having an idea about CBS and the occurring hallucination is the best thing to manage the disease. Understanding that the hallucinations are normal consequences of vision loss and not a mental health problem, helps reduce the stress and fear. Some techniques and measures can help the person deal with the condition, such as;

• -Avoiding dark places and increasing the light of the surroundings

• -Understanding the patterns of hallucinations

• -Discussing the hallucination

• -Undergoing psychological counseling to manage stress and fear

• -Yoga and Meditation, Music and Dance Therapy

Apart from these, some self-care techniques are effective according to the case studies,

• Moving eyes from left to right and vice versa,

• Staring at the hallucinations,

• Looking away from the images,

• Blinking eyes while having hallucination episodes

Fatigue and stress make CBS worse, so taking a good amount of rest and managing stress helps a person to deal with CBS.

In Conclusion, There is nothing to be worried about the condition, usually, it gets fades out with time. It is helpful to know that most people with Charles Bonnet Syndrome don't get scary or threatening hallucinations, it is the sudden occurrence that makes them frightened. Understanding what you are visualizing is not there helps in CBS management.

Also, some support groups are working with people with Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Esme's Umbrella, Royal National Institute Of Blind People, and CBS Foundation are some internationally known awareness campaigns for Charles Bonnet Syndrome, they provide links to information and helpful resources for both patients and healthcare professionals.

References:

1. American Academy of Ophthalmology. (2019). What Is Charles Bonnet Syndrome? Available at: https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-charles-bonnet-syndrome.

2. Jan, T. and del Castillo, J. (2012). Visual Hallucinations: Charles Bonnet Syndrome. Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, 13(6), pp.544–547. doi:10.5811/westjem.2012.7.12891.

3. NHS Charles Bonnet syndrome. Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/charles-bonnet-syndrome/#:~:text=Charles%20Bonnet%20syndrome%20causes%20a.

4. Wikipedia. (2021). Visual release hallucinations. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_release_hallucinations.

5. www.asrs.org. (n.d.). Charles Bonnet Syndrome - The American Society of Retina Specialists. Available at: https://www.asrs.org/patients/retinal-diseases/38/charles-bonnet-syndrome.

6. www.charlesbonnetsyndrome.org. (n.d.). Charles Bonnet Syndrome Foundation (Australia) - The Condition. Available at: https://www.charlesbonnetsyndrome.org/index.php/cbs/the-condition#:~:text=Definition

The disease I am talking about is Encephalitis Lethargica, popularly known as “Sleeping sickness”, a disease that swept the world during 1915-1926.

In this nearly 11 years of epidemic approx 5 million people were affected. And around 1927, this epidemic disappeared as abruptly & mysteriously as it first appeared. At the same time, the world was fighting another Pandemic caused by the Spanish flu. Encephalitis made it more complicated.

Due to lack of information, it was called an unknown terror between 1915-1917. It was then named Encephalitis Lethargica by Neurologist Dr. Constanin Von Economo. People then gave it a few more names, such as “Von Economo’s Encephalitis”, “Epidemic Encephalitis”, and “Brainstem Encephalitis”. It was spreading highly and the mortality rate was increasing day by day. The terror of 1915's encephalitis epidemic was then boosted by the Great Influenza Pandemic. At that time, few news articles claimed it was a sequel of the Influenza virus or was caused by the viral manipulation of the Spanish flu. These claims pushed the common people into the dark and made it more mysterious. But the scientists rejected these false claims.

Famous Neurologist Dr. Stern examined nearly 100 patients with Encephalitis Lethargica and has cured many of them. He defined the symptoms according to the reported cases; symptoms started with sleepiness and reached Parkinson’s Disease within a very short span. Many patients survived and made an almost complete recovery over time' But a majority of the patients developed post-encephalitic neurological conditions or passed away after a lengthy struggle. Many of the survivors developed a type of Parkinson’s disease, known as Encephalitic Parkinson’s. And in some cases, the severity of the disease has further turned into a very rare disease, Lewy Body Dementia.

In Dr. Oliver Sack’s words,

“They would be conscious and aware – yet not fully awake; they would sit motionless and speechless all day in their chairs, totally lacking energy, impetus, initiative, motive, appetite, affect or desire; they registered what went on about them without active attention, and with profound indifference. They neither conveyed nor felt the feeling of life; they were as insubstantial as ghosts, and as passive as zombies.”

The medical and pharmaceutical industries were trying their best to do something to cure the condition, but complexity and transmission rate stayed as an unbreakable barrier.

The tragedy of this epidemic made the world silent for almost a decade. It came abruptly and went mysteriously. After 1927, the rate of positive cases dropped all of a sudden and the epidemic ended within a month. Though isolated cases were occurring, somehow the world recovered from one of its historical epidemics. Even after 100 years, the mystery of that epidemic remains unsolved. Now various treatments are available on the early detection of the disease. Creating proper awareness is a much-needed thing, to detect the disease before it damages brain function. Even if it reaches its progressive stage, then symptomatic treatment helps fight the disease. The pharmaceutical industry and the neuroscientists are still working hard to find better and easily accessible treatments. Hope soon it will lose its remaining terror too…

I will come up with the details of the disease and some more exciting findings in my next blog, till then stay safe!!!

And remember,

Together we can fight COVID-19 pandemic too,

Follow the instructions given by WHO.

Let us make the environment safer for our next generation…

References:

1. Discover Magazine. (n.d.). 100 Years Later: The Lessons of Encephalitis Lethargica. [online] Available at: https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/100-years-later-the-lessons-of-encephalitis-lethargica.

2. Dourmashkin, R.R. (1997). What caused the 1918–30 Epidemic of Encephalitis Lethargica? Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 90(9), pp.515–520. doi:10.1177/014107689709000916.

3. Hoffman, L.A. and Vilensky, J.A. (2017). Encephalitis lethargica: 100 years after the epidemic. Brain, [online] 140(8), pp.2246–2251. doi:10.1093/brain/awx177.

4. MedLink Neurology. (n.d.). Encephalitis lethargica. [online] Available at: https://www.medlink.com/articles/encephalitis-lethargica.

5. www.sciencedirect.com. (n.d.). Encephalitis Lethargica - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. [online] Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/encephalitis-lethargica.

You are right; I am more excited today. I can assuredly tell you, that my Serotonin and Dopamine levels have increased right now, even more than that time; and my norepinephrine lost the battle. I don’t feel anxious about writing or publishing a blog today. The world around me has changed a lot in this one year. Yes, this boy currently writing in English had to have a fear of English even a year ago.

Let me tell you from the beginning, It won’t be too long, I promise…

When I first thought of doing it, I was in the middle of the sea. YouTube was my school to learn about website designing and publishing. And from there only, I became acquainted with multiple website hosting platforms; damn confusing, right? So I started contacting some people/groups, those who were acquainted with the pros and cons. Most of them ignored me, it's absolutely normal; they might have been thinking, “who is this random guy texting?”. But yes, many of them were so kind; they replied back with the exact information I wanted to get. After a month or two months of research and networking, I finally selected WIX as my website hosting platform. The struggle began here,

After purchasing the most comfortable hosting plan, I started designing my website. It was difficult but exciting and interesting. Again YouTube, being the world’s most popular institute, educated me about Website designing. And without any degree, I passed the challenge successfully, and I guess I have done justice with that. I am still learning about it, and there is still a lot to know.

Meantime, I was obsessed with Oliver Sack’s books, and 'Musicophilia' was my read of that time. It was then that I found that music can even sometimes cause diseases, and there is not much discussion among common people regarding them. I got my topic from that spark, and started reading papers, articles, and books and started writing on it. After a lot of diffidence, I finally finished writing my first blog and scheduled it on the day of my website release.

So it was 25/05/2021 when I started blogging officially by publishing my Blog site, The Musical Brains. And "Musicogenic Epilepsy" was the first and only content that witnessed that happening. After publishing, I shared it among all my friends and family members and waited for the response to come. Many of them appreciated it; many of them said 'why to start all this when you have a carrier ahead in music & biotechnology, do focus on them'; many of them suggested some changes, which could make it better; and many said nothing.

So today, when my blog is completing its one year with its little content, I am feeling proud of myself. The boy with zero writing skills today has completed his one year in this new world and might have done very little work or ordinary work but has reached readers in more than 14 countries. And you know without all of you it would have been impossible to enter this world of words in science. So I am really grateful to you all for all this love and support. I hope with all your blessings my brain will continue finding new topics of its own subject and my music will whisper its presence in my writing.

Now, wait for my next blog…

Eosinophilic Asthma:

Eosinophilic asthma (EA) is a severe type of asthma. High eosinophils in the blood mark it; these white blood cells cause inflammation and swelling in the airways and respiratory system. The higher the levels of eosinophils in the blood, the more severe asthma symptoms can be. High levels of eosinophils can develop when the body fights off a parasitic infection, or respiratory infection can cause this type of asthma. To treat this type of asthma, antibiotics can also be included with other asthma medications.

Neutrophilic Asthma:

Neutrophilic asthma (NA) is very complex and less clearly understood. Patients with neutrophilic asthma have a high neutrophil count in the sputum ranging from 40% to 76% of sputum cells. Increased neutrophils in the sputum have been associated with severe persistent asthma, fixed airway obstruction, and it can also be caused by Pneumonia. The disease tends to be worse at night, so it is also known as nocturnal asthma. Some Anti-inflammatory agents, Nebulizers, are effective medications to treat this type of asthma.

Body’s immunological response in case of Asthma:

Epithelial cell–DC interactions during the sensitization and challenge phase of experimental asthma. Both lung cDCs and epithelial cells express pattern-recognition receptors and can be activated directly by allergens. In response to allergens, lung epithelial cells produce chemokines that attract immature pre-cDCs. Activated epithelial cells produce ‘instructive’ cytokines (for example, IL-25, IL-33 ) and danger signals (ATP and uric acid) that favor the maturation of CD11b+ cDCs. Activated lung CD11b+ cDCs then migrate. In the lymph nodes, DCs receive help from basophils to sustain TH2 responses. When the lungs are repeatedly exposed to allergens, poorly migratory monocytic DCs and macrophages could locally restimulate effector function in lung-resident lymphocytes.

Overlap syndromes and Respiratory viral infection:

Overlap syndromes:

Eosinophilic asthma is an exclusive TH2 disorder, and neutrophilic asthma is an exclusive TH17 disorder. In many cases, there is considerable overlap in the types of cytokines found in an asthma endotype related to the severity of the disease. In this case, IL-18 drives the activation of TH1 cells that produce IL-13 and cause severe BHR ( Bronchial Hyper Reactivity ), which raises the serum levels of this cytokine and causes acute asthma attacks.

Respiratory viral infection:

This is caused by relatively mild respiratory viruses, such as human rhinovirus (HRV), adenovirus, or influenza. Respiratory viruses can induce an innate immune response that leads to the activation of natural killer T cells and macrophages. Some asthmatics with low innate antiviral immunity can be more susceptible to viral infections. Also, the infection with HRV-16 in asthmatics causes neutrophilic inflammation and steroid resistance.

Detection of Asthma:

Symptomatic investigation and Physical examination are the main procedure for the detection of Asthma. Apart from these investigations, the primary and most common test to detect Asthma is PFT or Pulmonary Function Test. Some other diagnostic tests are also required to see the leading cause and severity of Asthma, and these tests include

1. Lungs X-Ray

2. CT-Scan

3. Allergy tests

Treatment Options:

• Inhalers: An inhaler is a medical device used to deliver medication directly into the lungs. This is the most common and effective way to treat asthma. Some common inhaler drugs are Corticosteroids, Fluticasone, Salbutamol, etc.

• Nebulizers: Nebulizer is a type of medical device that changes medication from liquid to mist form to directly go into lungs cells. Nebulizers provide more effective and quick treatment in the case of asthma and COPD. Albuterol, epinephrine are some commonly used medications that are used to deliver through a nebulizer.

• Anti-Allergic & Steroid Drugs: These drugs are used to prevent the body’s allergic reaction and reduce the inflammation of lungs cells. Ex; Montelukast, Zileuton, Prednisone etc...

• Bronchial thermoplasty: It is a bronchoscopic procedure for the treatment of severe and uncontrolled asthma. It prevents the tightening of airway cells by using a heated electrode.

Conclusion:

Asthma is a common and chronic respiratory disorder that can affect anyone of any age. Most symptoms are mild but severe types of asthma should be treated on time, or it can be life-threatening.

Specific therapy and medications can control asthma and prevent irreversible airway changes in asthmatic patients. To avoid any complications, asthmatic patients should avoid allergens and should carry inhalers for emergency purposes. In future monoclonal antibodies, research can be an effective treatment for asthmatic patients to develop their immunity.

Reference:

1. Kuby Immunology| Eighth Edition| Jenni Punt; Sharon Stranford; Patricia Jones; Judy Owen

2. https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma

3. The Immunology of Asthma and Allergic Rhinitis. Kiboneka, Andrew, and Dan Kibuule.

4. Lambrecht, Bart N, and Hamida Hammad. “The Immunology of Asthma.” Nature Immunology, vol. 16, no. 1, 18 Dec. 2014, pp. 45–56, www.nature.com/articles/ni.3049, 10.1038/ni.3049

5. World Health Organization. “Asthma.” WHO, 3 May 2021.

Sad Music and Sad Mood:

Sadness is considered as an emotional experience where disappointment grabs us and makes us unhappy and alone. Human psychology says music acts like a best friend you always want to have with you. Study shows that teens and adults listen to music for approximately two to three hours per day, especially when feeling low. The exact relation between music and emotion is still unclear but, research shows that sad music may provoke sadness. But the experience of listening to sad music would rise positive emotions. Some people seem to just enjoy the emotional journey with music. Some people use sad music, to feel an emotional connection with others. Some people listen to sad music just to cry when they are feeling low or sad because it releases pent-up emotions that can make them feel much better. Music plays its complicated and key role thereby connecting with our soul and telling it, “Don’t worry I am here with you, I know how it feels.” Sad music conveys emotions that are similar to our mental state. This makes us believe that we are not alone in that situation. And it results in a slow change in our mood, we feel that someone else has also experienced something similar to us and understands exactly how we feel at that time. It makes us feel better and slowly improves our mood.

Sad Music and Depression:

Depression and sadness are two completely different terms. Depression is taken under consideration as a mood disorder, with a feeling of sadness that causes loss of interest and motivation. When an individual with depression fights with their own neurotransmitters by asking them to behave properly, Music comes like an angel to deliver that message to our brain. Research shows that people with clinical depression also respond to music differently. They use sad songs or sad music to feel positive, listening to happy music seems like a normal thing to do for a person dealing with depression, but instead of that why do they prefer sad music more?? The reason might be because sad music seems like an empathetic person, trying to console you at your bad times; whereas happy music may seem like an upbeat person, asking you to smile and laugh when you’re annoyed. So people with depression find sad music more moving and understanding. It helps them handle their ongoing mental distress by reducing tension and sadness. It allows them to bring their own negative emotions to the surface. Sometimes an individual handling depression also feels heavy and stressed with their bottled-up emotions, a piece of sad music can vent them out gently by “A Good Cry.” Although depression is a clinical condition, people dealing with it needs to be careful about the music they listen to. A music therapist or clinician can help them choose the right music to make them feel better.

Conclusion:

There is a lot to know about the complex relationship between Music and our Brain. In the past few years research has shown that music has a lot of positive impact on one’s life. Although we need to remember that each and everything that has a positive impact has a negative impact too. There are a lot of things that are still scientifically unknown in terms of music and the brain. In a normal way, we can use music in whatever way we want, but when dealing with some distress of mind or any medical condition we should be careful. Depression and sadness are among the main concerns of the 21st century. While dealing with the people should ask for help from Medical Practitioners or psychologists. Music therapy has grown hugely in recent times, using music as therapy to treat these conditions has a great success rate. In the future, it could be one of the best treatment options for curing these mental distresses. Till then stay happy and listen to your favorite music.

References:

1. Sad music induces pleasant emotion, Frontiers in Psychology. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00311

2. Why Do We Like Listening To Sad Music? By Sushmitha Hegde, Science ABC

3. The sadness paradox: how sad music can relieve a depressed mind. Mental Health Toady

4. Music therapy for depression, NCBI. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004517.pub3

Blog Concept & Written by: Arijit Bhattacharya

Illustrated by: Anushka Banerjee

What is Multiple Sclerosis??

Multiple Sclerosis is a neuro-immunological condition where our immune system attacks the protecting cover of our nerve cells, myelin sheath and causes scars or sclerosis in multiple places. The degeneration of myelin sheath makes it a progressive disease by causing permanent nerve damage and disruption of neural signaling and communication. The severity of the disease depends upon the amount of damage in the nerve cells of the central nervous system. Sometimes in-between the attack, symptoms may disappear completely though the permanent damages stay as it is.

Types of Multiple Sclerosis:

In the year 2013, International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in Multiple Sclerosis have defined four types of Multiple Sclerosis disease,

Clinically Isolated Syndrome (CIS): This is considered as the first type/episode of Multiple Sclerosis. CIS is usually caused by inflammation and demyelination of nerve cells in the central nervous system. As per the diagnostic rules, these symptoms must last for at least 24hrs to be considered as Clinically Isolated Syndrome. Sometimes people with CIS do not show any progress for Multiple Sclerosis. Although if the MRI shows MS-like lesions with CIS then the individual could be at a high risk of developing Multiple Sclerosis. Early diagnosis and treatment of Clinically Isolated Syndrome have been shown to delay the onset of Multiple Sclerosis.

Relapsing-Remitting MS (RRMS): This is the most common type or form of Multiple Sclerosis. Around 80-85 percent of people with MS are diagnosed with RRMS. This type of MS is characterized by some clearly defined attack with a progressive/relapsing stage followed by a partial or complete recovery with a remitting stage. The most critical part of RRMS is the relapsing stage as the symptoms get worse at that time, but during remission, the symptoms may disappear completely or partially. Although a few symptoms can stay and become permanent. Early diagnosis and effective treatment can stop RRMS from developing Secondary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis.

Secondary Progressive MS (SPMS): This is the second stage of the disease that develops from RRMS. The symptoms of SPMS gradually change from an inflammatory phase to a more progressive phase by causing nerve damage or loss. Studies have found that 50 percent of the individuals with RRMS would further develop SPMS within 10 years. Occasional relapses may occur which gradually increases the disabilities, so it's important to treat SPMS as early as possible.

Primary Progressive MS (PPMS): This is the rarest type of Multiple Sclerosis. Focusing on surveys only 10-15 percent of people with MS develop PPMS. It is a progressive form of Multiple Sclerosis which leads to the loss of neurological functions. Individuals with PPMS also tend to have more lesions in the spinal cord than in the brain. PPMS gets worse over time and it is very difficult to predict that how much damage it will cause. Unlike other types of MS, PPMS does not have any relapsing or remitting stage. Treating PPMS on its early onset can reduce nerve damages and can increase one’s lifespan.

Symptoms & Diagnosis:

Multiple Sclerosis affects the nerves of the CNS, so the disabilities can occur at any part of the body. The symptoms may differ from a person to person. Numbness and muscle weakness in one side of the body can be an early sign of Multiple Sclerosis. Although fatigue is considered as one of the main symptoms of MS, according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) 80 percent of people with MS experiences fatigue. The secondary stage of MS has a more diverse range of symptoms such as vision problems, speech problems, dizziness, and cognitive issues. If left untreated MS shows an adverse range of symptoms starting with Lhermitte’s sign, where a person experiences a short electrical shock-like sensation passing down the spinal cord and radiating through the limbs. 

These above-mentioned symptoms are most common in the case of MS. There are no such specific tests that can confirm the diagnosis of MS. A complete neurological exam with full medical history can be helpful to confirm it. Some tests such as blood tests, Gadolinium MRI, CSF analysis, evoked potential tests can confirm the symptoms or presence of lesions on the brain and spinal cord. If the finding meets the criteria for the diagnosis of MS then a doctor can confirm it and proceed with the treatment planning.

Treatment Options:

Till now there is no cure for Multiple Sclerosis, but treating it symptomatically can decrease its severity. There are many treatment options available that can slow down the progression of this disease.

Disease-Modifying Therapies (DMTs) is one of the effective ways to treat MS, it can slow down the relapses and the damages caused by MS. They have also been shown effective to reduce lesions on the brain and spinal cord. Apart from DMTs, symptomatic medication and treatment can also reduce the further progress of this disease. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rehabilitation and physical therapy, alternative, and complementary therapies are also very much effective to reduce the severity of MS.

Scientists are working for making some more effective treatments to cure MS. Nowadays an FDA-approved drug named Ocrevus has become a very famous medication for relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis in adults. Also, researchers have found that stem cell therapy and plasma therapy could become a good treatment options to cure MS in near future.

Conclusion:

We need to remember that Multiple Sclerosis is not fatal, there are many treatment options available to reduce the severity of this disease. Good knowledge about MS is very important to catch the disease in its earlier stage. Most people diagnosed with MS learn to manage their symptoms and they lead full and active lives. In recent years scientists have made excellent progress in developing many drugs and medications for MS. Hope that in near future researchers will find some more effective treatment options to cure MS completely.

Reference and Resources:

1)Multiple Sclerosis (MS): Early Signs and Common Symptoms, Medically Reviewed by Carol DerSarkissian, MD

2) National Multiple Sclerosis Society 

3) Multiple Sclerosis Review, NHS UK

4) Medical Encyclopedia, Multiple Sclerosis, NIH U.S. National Library of Medicine

5) Multiple Sclerosis: Pathogenesis, Symptoms, Diagnoses and Cell-Based Therapy

Nazem Ghasemi, Ph.D,1 Shahnaz Razavi, Ph.D,1 and Elham Nikzad, B.Sc2

6) Multiple sclerosis: New insights and trends

This blog of mine have also got published on Vision Science Academy's monthly journal and it has secured 6th position all over the world in there November 2021 Blog Competition.

Here is the link to the blog published on Vision Science Academy:

Multiple Sclerosis, The Details You Need to Know | Scientific Blog by Arijit Bhattacharya | Vision Science Academy

© The Musical Brains & Vision Science Academy.

This book was written simply and has two sides; one is adventurous, the other is full of life lessons. The main character of this book is the old man Santiago, who is a very experienced and skilled fisherman from Cuba. He was called “salao” by the local people of his area, which means he was at the worst form of unluckiness. The other highlighted character is Manolin, a young boy who learned fishing from Santiago and really loves and cares about him. Because of family restrictions Manolin wasn’t able to join Santiago in his next fishing journey, and just wished him very good luck. But it was Santiago’s fortune, his bad luck stayed with him for 84 days of his fishing on the sea of Cuba. Twist came on the 85th day, which suddenly changed the story when Santiago hooked a marlin fish. The smart giant marlin then started making him struggle every single moment. Though insufficient sleep, wounded hand, hunger, and thrust made Santiago physically weak but he was a young-minded old man who challenged the fish and vowed to kill this giant soon. It took 3 days to kill the fish. The story didn’t end here, he was with a piece of good luck this time but again luck betrayed him. As he was in the sea on the way to his home, a group of sharks attacked the dead fish. Then Santiago’s struggle continued with this verse of the story. Just imagine an old man in the middle of the sea with a dead fish attacked by a group of dangerous sharks, what could be more worse than that? After a treacherous fight finally, he was able to reach home with that giant, though only its trace remained there with him. The story ended with a bunch of beautiful and thrilling memories from the sea and a lesson to stay happy in every situation.

Santiago’s struggle with the giant marlin fish will thrill you up, but in the end, it will make you emotional. His relation with Manolin will remind you again that friendship has no age limit.

The unique diversity of this book makes it winning Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and Nobel Prize in Literature for Ernest Hemingway.

I have finished it so early, and right now, I am missing it very badly. Now when I see the name “The Old Man and the Sea” it creates a clear world of imagination in front of my eyes, where I am on a fishing boat again with Santiago, he is struggling with the giant marlin and murmuring on his own that “I wish I had the boy”…

Get this book:

Amazon

Flipkart

Happy Reading!!!

“Migraine” (1970)

It is the first book written by Dr. Oliver Sacks. The book was written on 1967 and first published in 1970. The book consists of numerous case histories of his patients. The signs and symptoms of migraine was written in a simple and informative way for the common people’s understanding. The five section have explained almost everything about migraine.

“Awakenings” (1973)

This is one of the most popular book written by Dr. Oliver Sacks. This book is based on Dr. Sacks’s experience and the life story of those patients who survived 1920’s Encephalitis Lethargica epidemic. The story reflects Dr. Sacks’s experiment with the drug “L-Dopa” which gifted a new life to those patients at the Beth Abraham Hospital in the Bronx, New York. The tragedy of the incident lead to making of the famous movie “awakenings” based on this book.

“A leg to Stand On” (1984)

This is the book where the doctor became a patient. After an accident Dr. Sacks started feeling legless which raised a question about the physical basis of identity in his mind. Dr. Sacks said, “ Here the roles were reversed and I was the patient myself, bewildered by an experience, a short of “alienation” of an injured leg, which I could not comprehend or communicated to my doctors. My only relief was to write about it”

“The Man who Mistook His Wife For a Hat” (1985)

Sounds interesting right???

This is one of the bestselling book of that time. The book is based on some interesting case histories of Dr. Sacks’s patients. The book have twenty-four essays split into four sections, "Losses", "Excesses", "Transports", and "The World of the Simple". Each of these sections are based on a particular aspect of brain function. Title of the book is named after the 1st story which is about Dr. P ‘the man who mistook his wife for a hat’, the story of a patient with visual agnosia. Some other interesting stories include “The Man Who Fell out of Bed”, "The Twins", "The President's Speech" etc…

“Seeing Voices” (1989)

Weird Title!!! But it is one of those books which will open your eyes to a different world, "World of the Deaf”. Yes, this book is about the people who were unable to hear. It consists of historical and treatment approach of Deaf studies. This book is considered as one of the highly informative book by Oliver Sacks. It was described as "Extraordinarily moving and thought-provoking" book by publishers weekly.

“An Anthropologist on Mars” (1995)

Originally entitled “An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales” got published on 7th February, 1995. The book consists of seven historical and famous case studies of Dr. Sacks patients with common neurological disorders including Tourette Syndrome, Autism, Brain Tumor & amnesia etc. In this book Dr. Sacks concluded that "defects, disorders, and diseases... can play a paradoxical role, by bringing out latent powers, developments, evolution, forms of life that might never be seen, or even be imaginable, in their absence". Some famous stories of this book includes, "To See and Not See", “ A Surgeon’s wife”,"Prodigies" etc….

“The Island of the Colorblind” (1997)

This book is about achromatopsia which is a total colour blindness on Pingelap Atoll, a Micronesian island in the South Pacific. The book consists of lots of mystery about an isolated community of islanders who all were born totally colour-blind. The book consists of Dr. Sacks adventure, research and experience with that community.

Read the Book…

“Uncle Tungsten” (2001)

This book is based on Dr. Oliver Sacks own childhood memory with his uncle Dave. The book was published on 2001. Dace was nicknamed as Uncle Tungsten by Oliver because he was secretary of a business named Tungstalite who produced bulbs with tungsten filament. His uncle always said that tungsten was the metal of the future. The book with his own memories also consists of history and science of chemistry and electrochemistry. It consists of his experiences of sadism at school, his interest in Chemistry, and a passing obsession with coloring his own black-and-white photographs in his home laboratory.

“Oaxaca Journal” (2002)

Oaxaca is a state in southern Mexico which is famous for it’s indigenous cultures and green Volcanic Rock. This book is based on Dr. Sacks’s adventure on Oaxaca Island. The book focuses on Dr. Sacks’s passion for natural history and botany. Oaxaca Journal also have a brief description and his experience with it’s place, it’s people and it’s plants.

“Musicophilia” (2007)

The most recent book by Dr. Oliver Sacks, “Musicophillia: Tales of Music and the Brain” was published on 2007. In this book he explained the Neurological and Psychological connection of Music and Brain by setting the example from his case studies. This book is divided into four parts, “Haunted by Music”; “A Range of Musicality”; “ Memory, Movement, and Music”; “Emotion, Identity, and Music”. The book have a clear reflection of both musicophile ( one who loves music) and musicophobia ( fear of music). According to Dr.Sacks he wrote this book to widen the general peoples understanding of music and its effects on the brain. It is one of the best book to know the scientific effects of music and it’s impact on our brain.

“The Mind's Eye” (2010)

A book consisting of Dr. Sacks’s case studies with the patients who were unable to recognize the things by their eyes. His dramatic explanation of such thrilling case studies again made that book famous the book also reflects his own experience with eye cancer and inability to recognize face. While reviewing the book, famous British journalist, writer and reviewer Bryan Appleyard, wrote that, "Sacks the doctor once again dramatizes the most strange and thrilling scientific and cultural issue of our time—the nature of the human mind—through the simple act of telling stories."

“Hallucinations” (2012)

This book is one of the beautiful creation of Dr. Oliver Sacks, it’s written with the intention to remove the stigma of hallucinations in the eyes of society and the medical world. The book focuses on his experience with his patients who had different types of hallucinations. He explained the types and the symptoms in such a way that a common person can easily understand the science behind it. And also he mentioned the positive impact of hallucinations in art and culture. This book also got shortlisted nominee on "Wellcome Book Prize" in 2014.

“Gratitude” (2015)

Here comes one of his best creation and his last book “Gratitude”. Dr. Sacks was diagnosed with recurrence of cancer in 2015, during those last few months of his life he didn’t stopped writing, he wrote a bunch of essays in which he explained his feelings about completing a life and coming to terms with his own death. His exceptional writing and putting those exact emotions into the words made this Best Selling Book again for the last time.

“No writer has succeeded in capturing the medical and human drama of illness as honestly and as eloquently as Oliver Sacks”.

“The River of Consciousness” (2017)

This book is an example of Dr. Sacks unbelievable thinking ability and his skills to put emotions into his writings. The book consists of 10 essays and some of them are dedicated to some famous and specific figure like Darwin, Freud. Some famous stories includes “Darwin and the Meaning of Flowers”, “The Creative Self”, “A General Feeling of Disorder” etc…

“Everything in it’s place” (2019)

A book consists of his best essays and his experience of joy throughout his life. Consisting of some of his unpublished stories this book is slightly different from his other books. The book is divided into three main sections “First Loves”, “Clinical Tales” and “Life Continues”. While reviewing the book ‘People Magazine’ said that, “Magical . . . [Everything in Its Place] showcases the neurologist’s infinitely curious mind”.

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