Featured Books
Michael Hoffmann has composed the following books which encapsulate his lifelong research and creative talents in neurology.
Brain Beat: Scientific Foundations and Evolutionary Perspectives of Brain Health
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Brain Beat: A Scientific and Evolutionary Perspective of Brain Health examines the origins of the pillars of brain health, expounding the current scientific basis for recommending physical exercise, cognitive exercises, sleep hygiene, socialization and brain-foods. However in addition to the "how" question, the more important "why" question is addressed from a neuro-archeological and evolutionary standpoint. The clinical and laboratory brain sciences are replete with ever increasing numbers of publications about brain plasticity and the powerful aspects of preventative medicine. Once dismissed as non-existent, we now know that brain plasticity and "brain building" occurs on a daily basis. Why did physical exercise evolve to produce new brain cells and connections and how and why did we become "born runners" and become "wired to run"? Why an important function of sleep is the pruning the brain's connections made during the day and why are diverse diets associated with good health in differing traditional human societies? Why is socialization protective against dementia and cardiovascular disease? New scientific, evolutionary and anthropological research is presented on how these processes were ingrained into our brain circuitry and linked to appropriate reward mechanisms, some of which have resulted in "mismatch diseases" today. Disparate disciplines such as geology, climatology and astrophysics give insights as to how our body, brain and mind were forged by "fire and ice". With a better understanding of how we evolved, comes improved adherence and compliance to healthy living proclivities.
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Testimonials
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"BRAIN BEAT is a scholarly and exceptionally lucid presentation of Neuroarcheology and brain health"
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"Dr. Hoffmann makes Neuroarcheology understandable to the lay public, while simultaneously challenging us professionals to 'think different' "
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​- Allen E. Ivey, Ed.D., ABPP, Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Cognitive, Conative and Behavioral Neurology
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Cognitive, Conative and Behavioral Neurology: An Evolutionary Perspective
Springer Publications New York, Fall 2016
This groundbreaking title presents the many different neurologic syndromes and vastly expanding data in the brain sciences from an evolutionary or neuro-archeological perspective and a clinical perspective. The neuro-archeological perspective offers a more thorough picture of the medical field. By providing hindsight it has lead to great insight as well as foresight. It thus provides the reader with the core foundational aspects of many perplexing neurologic syndromes. Cognitive Conative and Behavioral Neurology: An Evolutionary Perspective is authored by a noted authority in cognitive neurology and includes ample tables, diagrams, and images. The book covers the full range of behavioral, neurological, psychological, and neuropsychiatric syndromes, as well as their underlying disease states, relevant neuropsychological tests, and contemporary neuroimaging; both structural and functional. The evolutionary approach offers a comprehensive, novel, and completely updated overview of each topic. An invaluable title unlike any other in the field, Cognitive, Conative and Behavioral Neurology: An Evolutionary Perspective is a landmark resource and will be of great interest to neurologists, psychiatrists, neuroscientists, and trainees in all fields.
Assembly of the Executive Mind: Evolutionary Insights and a Paradigm for Brain Health. Cambridge University Press
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January 2019
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The vast majority of the human brain real estate is implicated with higher cortical functions embraced by the supervisory role of the frontal lobes, the apogee of human brain development. Symptoms and syndromes of frontal lobe perturbations may be silent, covert, dramatic, lead to enhanced cognitive capacities or be actively denied. At times, to act may be important, or not to act may be decisive. The multicomponent nature of frontal lobe functions may lead to a cognitive-behavioral dissonance may account for enigmatic presentations. Diagnostic delay is common due to convincing and spared language and cognitive executive abilities. Understanding of syndromes, functions, and measurements remains incompletely chartered. This valuable handbook illuminates brain function, natural environment and human function, by delving into the interdisciplinary study. Multifaceted in its perspective, this book demonstrates bidirectionality of information exchange between disciplines. This book weaves around key case reports, series, control studies and cohort studies from cognitive neurology registries, to present the most
current, practical research. Gaining appreciation for the fundamental formation and assembly of the supervisory area of the brain will inform an understanding of conditions and behavior for neuroscience professionals, clinical brain scientists and medical students in neuroscience, worldwide. Authored by a leading expert in cognitive neurology, this book guides the reader through the evolutionary, or
neuro-archeological, aspects of how the frontal lobes and their circuitry were assembled, drawing key insights into form, function and treatment.
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Clinical Mentation Evaluation: A Connectomal Approach to Rapid and Comprehensive Assessment
July 2020
This first-of-its-kind book offers clinicians a unique and comprehensive system of cognitive and behavioral testing that is tiered and context- appropriate for the diagnosis of mental status. Because the challenge nowadays with neurologic syndrome presentations is no longer merely lesion localization, but the degree, extent and nature of a cognitive and/ or behavioral impairment, this work proposes a more targeted system of mentation evaluation – one that incorporates behavioral, neurological, neuropsychiatric, and neuropsychological components.
Developed by synthesizing outcomes data from a range of stroke registries, this novel work offers a stepwise, hierarchical approach to mentation evaluation largely determined by level of consciousness and degree of cooperation. Organized across 14 chapters, the book begins with an introduction to the challenges of cognitive and behavioral assessment, as well as a discussion of various clinical presentations ranging from mild behavioral impairment to cognitive reserve and its implications. Subsequent chapters then address various approaches to mental status evaluation and explore how these tests affect brain physiology. The work closes with a unique discussion of the various lay populations that may benefit from cognitive and behavioral evaluation.
Authored by a renowned expert in the field, Clinical Mentation Evaluation: A Connectomal Approach to Rapid and Comprehensive Assessment is an invaluable reference that seeks to revitalize neurological and psychiatric disease measurement within the clinical setting. The work will be of interest to all clinicians in training and clinical practice who regularly, or even periodically, conduct mental status examination.