Synopses & Reviews
After he was stabbed, Matthew Nagle, a former high school football star, made scientific history when neurosurgeons implanted a microelectrode in his brain. Using BrainGate technology, Matt could merely think about moving a computer cursor—and it moved. He controlled the lights, manipulated his prosthetic hand, turned the TV off and on, and played video games, all just by thinking.
In Racing Against Paralysis, Dr. Jon Mukand, Matt's research physician and a specialist in rehabilitation medicine, weaves together the stories of Matt and other survivors of stroke, spinal injuries, and brain trauma; his relationship with them; and the technology that is working miracles. Advances in biomedicine are a matter of life and death for the patients, but they are often caught in the crossfire of cultural wars over the limits of science, from animal studies to the FDA, financing, and publication.
In an era of wounded veterans and an aging population, Racing Against Paralysis provides inspiration and insight into the possibilities of technology and explores cutting-edge human research and the attendant ethical, political, social, and financial controversies. Ultimately, the book is about people with disabilities realizing their dreams of healing their damaged bodies and regaining any measure of control.
Review
"This is an epic tale, a cliff-hanger, about a young athlete turned quadraplegic who is determined to walk again. As he retreats into solitude and anger and re-emerges into a love for his friends and family and a trust in his doctor, we follow all his powerful emotions. Along the way we are told stories of other remarkable recoveries, aided by modern devices. Whoever has known a stroke victim or someone who's suffered from a spinal injury should read this book for its inspiring but realistic accounts of struggle and triumph." —Edmund White, author of A Boys Own Story and the National Book Critics Circle Award-winning Genet: A Biography
Review
"This should appeal to general readers, who will find a well-written and moving human story alongside clear, well-explained examples of the latest developments in this medical technology." —Library Journal
Review
“With splendid clarity and profound compassion, Dr. Jon Mukand . . . introduces us to his patients . . . and shares with us the great success of BrainGate, the worlds first brain-computer interface. This is an exciting story, fully accessible and documented yet infused with optimism. It is impossible not to be deeply moved by Dr. Mukands generosity and fascinated by his extraordinary tale.” —Kelly Cherry, author of The Retreats of Thought and The Society of Friends
Review
“This book reads like a powerful novel; the case stories woven into the intense saga of Matthew Nagle grab us and build. Jon Mukand writes science with careful precision and swift clarity and grace. But in the truest sense, this amazing story . . . reads like great science: the human pain, the exacting research, the deep mysteries opened layer by layer, and the steps forward. It is a thrilling and sobering story.” —Ron Carlson, author of The Signal and The Hotel Eden
Review
“The Man with the Bionic Brain is a rare and brilliant book: at once a heart-wrenching tale of human courage and a chronicle of incredible scientific advancement. . . . A page-turner of a story.” —Bret Lott, author of Jewel and Ancient Highway
Review
"In addition to the science and technology associated with the treatment of central nervous-system injuries, the author deftly explores what it means to be disabled, including the loss of body control, dependence on others, and the collision of hope with realistic expectations for possibly inadequate healing." —Booklist
Synopsis
After he was stabbed and became paralyzed from the neck down, Matthew Nagle, a former high school football star, made scientific history when neurosurgeons implanted microelectrodes in his brain that recognized his thought patterns, allowing him to control a computer cursor. With the BrainGate system, Matt was able to use e-mail, manipulate a prosthetic hand, adjust TV settings, and play video games—all just by thinking about performing these tasks.
In The Man with the Bionic Brain and Other Victories over Paralysis, Dr. Jon Mukand, Matts research physician and a rehabilitation specialist, weaves together his story with firsthand accounts of other courageous survivors of stroke, spinal injuries, and brain trauma and the amazing technology that has improved their lives.
A behind-the-scenes view of cutting-edge medical research and discoveries, The Man with the Bionic Brain and Other Victories over Paralysis is an insightful and inspirational book about how biomedicine gives hope to people with disabilities and enables them to take control of their futures.
About the Author
Jon Mukand, MD, PhD, is a rehabilitation medicine specialist and the medical director of the Southern New England Rehabilitation Center. He serves on the clinical faculty of Brown University and Tufts University. Mukand earned his MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin, his MA in English and creative writing from Stanford University, and his PhD in English literature from Brown. He is the editor of Vital Lines: Contemporary Fiction about Medicine, Articulations: The Body and Illness in Poetry, and Rehabilitation for Patients with HIV Disease.