The Banana Lady

The subject of this book is a stranger than fiction change in personalities, behaviors and relationships including the gradual loss of language and the meaning of words. Nineteen lives are chronicled as told by caregivers, each selected for the drama and strangeness of behavior or cognition. These clinical tales are intended for the general reader who is interested in how the brain processes language, behavior, emotions, meaning and morality and in particular for the families, who sometimes suffer more than the patients. In each chapter the recurrent symptoms, the biology of an underlying brain disorder and the social and cultural aspects of the behavior change is explored. Technical terms and their origin is explained. The vivid and accurate case histories and the last three chapters reviewing and updating the biology, genetics and the pharmacology have educational value for professionals as well. There is a special chapter: "Tips for caregivers" and a glossary.