Art and Neurological Disorders

There is significant academic interest in the field of art and neurologicaldisorders.Considering how artistic expression may be modified by alterations in neural circuits, as well as in ourbodies and everyday lives, associated with a range of disorders and diseases is a rich territory from which to understand the workings of our brains, the unique blend of factors leadingto human art making, and disease itself.This book will be an exposé of how different neurologicaldisordersmay influence and/or relate to the artistic process, with a particular focus onvisual art and painting. The book will interrogate the question of different aspects of neurologicaldisordersand associated brain changes that may impact artistic expression (and viceversa) and will include devoted chapters on Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, Mood Disorders, Autism, and Schizophrenia. Moreover,we will elaborateon the question from theperspective of the artist themselves, with chapters that highlight the artistic process in the context of lived experience (either directly or indirectly) with disease-mediated brain changes.Finally, engagement in creative acts has been linked to therapeutic benefits in multiple disease processes and neuroplasticity, which is another line of inquiry directly addressed in thebook. As a whole, the volume focuses on themes and concepts at the boundary of creativity and neuroscience in such a way as to be relevant to both the medical and broader (artistic)community.