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Globe and Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Globe and Mail
Beyond ‘burnt toast': Eric Andrew-Gee probes the story of Penfield and Cone in The Mind Mappers
'I can smell burnt toast.' Most Canadians over 30 remember the 1991 Heritage Minute short that celebrated the revolutionary Dr. Wilder Penfield, who experimented on the brain's temporal lobes in the 1930s. Less well remembered is his partnership with the Iowa-born neurosurgeon William Cone. It was this collaboration that enabled Penfield to turn the Montreal Neurological Institute, familiarly known as the Neuro, into a global epicentre for brain research between the late 1920s and late 1950s. In his new book, The Mind Mappers, The Globe and Mail's Eric Andrew-Gee brings the unusually symbiotic relationship between this odd couple compellingly to life, giving due respect to Cone, whose life ended tragically inside the institution to which he had devoted the best part of his career. The partnership of these two neurosurgeons in Montreal seems like one of those perfect alignments of serendipity. How does it come about? Cone and Penfield had these eerily parallel childhoods. They were both raised in the American Midwest in the turn of the 20th century. Penfield's father had abandoned the family after going bankrupt as a feckless doctor in Spokane, Washington. He packed his family up on a train, sent them to live with his wife's family and then never joined them. Cone's father contracted typhoid fever and died when Cone was 2. They both grow up with stories of medical greatness in their families, but also medical failure. When they finally cross paths at Presbyterian Hospital in New York in the 1920s, their heads are in a very similar place. Penfield is one of a couple dozen practising neurosurgeons in the world, and he's basically learning on the fly because there's no one to teach him. That's the state of neurosurgery at the time. It was so rudimentary, so crude, so dangerous for patients, and so heartbreaking for practitioners who were constantly losing patients. Cone arrives as a research fellow. He's interested in the brain from his medical training in Iowa. His grandmother had died of a brain tumour, so he had the brain on the brain. Penfield wonderfully describes this moment when he sees Cone walking down this stairwell in the hospital. In retrospect, he realizes this is the moment that set the course of his life. They immediately realize there's chemistry there, although they're polar opposites. The differences are striking. There seems to have been a kind of symbiosis through opposition. Penfield's this tall, dapper, handsome, athletic guy. Very outgoing, charismatic and well-spoken. Cone is none of those things. He's stocky and socially awkward. He might be diagnosed with Asperger's nowadays. He prefers tinkering in his workshop, inventing new surgical tools, and sitting with patients, holding their hands. Penfield is an excellent doctor and cares about patients, but he also has grand philosophical visions of what the study of the brain could be. It's a perfect match because one is very hands-on and practical and one is a silver-tongued orator and scientific visionary. When Penfield is recruited by the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, his one condition is they hire Cone too. You started off researching Penfield, and then stumbled upon this little-known character, Cone, who effectively ends up the hero of your book. Tell me about that discovery. There's an internal history of the Neuro – a coffee-table sort of book – with a chapter on Cone that describes this figure who's probably the greatest neurosurgeon of his generation. The master of masters. Incredible judgment, incredible dedication and the most patient-oriented doctor anyone had ever met. Thanks to his extraordinary gifts as a doctor, he made possible the scientific leaps that had originally gotten me interested in Penfield's work. Then, in his early 60s, he dies suddenly in his office in tragic circumstances that bring the golden age of the institute to an end. I got the sense that this was a great archetypal story, this master-and-apprentice relationship. As a storyteller I was hooked, but as a person I was just so moved by Cone's saintliness, by the fact that this medical hero who was at the heart of one of the great stories in Canadian science was totally forgotten. He really comes to life in the book, which is remarkable given the lack of paper trail. Penfield had a sense of his legacy, so he kept every piece of paper that crossed his desk, and a journal. Cone has virtually none of that. He hated to write because it slowed him down. He wouldn't even write patents for the surgical tools he invented. It could have made him tons of money. People would badger him to write back about a simple, 'Are you coming to this medical conference?' Author John Green became obsessed with tuberculosis – so he wrote a book about it So virtually everything we know about Cone comes from Penfield's archive, from their correspondence, because he did write to Penfield. Their correspondence is extraordinary. Tender longing when they're apart. It was in the clipped style of mid-century Protestant North American men, but it's nonetheless revealing. To that point, there's a strong suggestion that Cone's devotion to Penfield – he turns down the opportunity to run his own institute to stay on as Penfield's second-in-command, for substantially less pay – might have been more than platonic. Male friendships can be as fraught and turbulent as any love affair. I do think Cone's feelings ultimately tipped over into the romantic. I don't know if he ever acknowledged that to himself. Almost certainly not to Penfield. It was illegal to be homosexual in Canada at that time. There's all this circumstantial evidence that his love for Penfield was something more than platonic. He had this bitterly unhappy marriage, had no children. On its own, that doesn't tell you much, but then there's the tone of the letters to Penfield. When Penfield doesn't appoint Cone his successor when he decides to retire, it devastates him. Probably it wasn't the right role for Cone in some way, but the way Penfield went about it felt to Cone like a stab in the back. He has a meltdown. He falls into a deep depression in the years after this rift. And I'm not sure the scale of his reaction makes sense if his feelings for Penfield were merely platonic. What are Cone and Penfield's greatest achievements – either singly or together? Cone made the hospital hygienic, functional, medically sound, so that people wanted to come there and be cured. But it was Penfield's ideas that made their legacy. Penfield had a sister who had a brain tumour in her frontal lobe that caused seizures. In 1928 he and Cone operated on her at the Royal Victoria Hospital and she almost died. Penfield was a little too aggressive and carved out about an eighth of her brain without really knowing what the frontal lobes did. Book Review: Original Sin details Biden's declining health and a cover-up by closest advisers She survived the operation, but the tumour grew back and she died. In the meantime, her personality changed. She became, as he described it, like a lump of putty. Penfield realized he'd been reckless, and that he needed to map the brain if he was going to be an effective surgeon. That's what he and Cone did, and that's their greatest achievement. They were like the early cartographers. They developed this procedure for treating epilepsy that would simultaneously map the brain. In the course of doing this, they were also figuring out what different regions of the brain were responsible for. And this is absolutely crucial, not only for surgeons to know where not to cut, but for the treatment of neurological conditions. It was the mind-body problem that had always puzzled philosophers and scientists: Is there a ghost in the machine, different from our gray matter, that makes us? This interview has been condensed and edited
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Formula One Driver Yuki Tsunoda Joins Neuro Gum to Lock In at 200 MPH
The world-renowned athlete partners with Neuro in a relentless pursuit to optimize cognitive health and performance both on and off the track LAS VEGAS, May 01, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Formula One driver and motorsport rising star, Yuki Tsunoda, has teamed up with Neuro Gum Inc., the leader in functional gum and mints. Tsunoda joins an elite group of competitors, leaders, and creatives who use Neuro to fuel peak performance while prioritizing brain health. Currently competing in the Miami Grand Prix, 24-year-old Tsunoda is accustomed to a taxing travel and training schedule. Vocal about the pressures of professional motorsports, this season, he is investing more in his mental health in order to perform at the highest level. The ability to maintain focus and alertness while minimizing stress and anxiety is critical for these athletes who train and perform under intense physical demands that often require split-second decisions and tremendous stamina. "I'm really excited to join the team at Neuro. It's a unique and innovative product that can easily fit into my daily routine and helps me perform at my best. With 24 races around the world, staying sharp and focused during every session is essential, and using Neuro plays a strong part in this. I also love that the brand reflects Japanese heritage, with both Kent and Ryan having roots in Japan – that connection makes it even more meaningful to be part of the team," said Tsunoda. The partnership kicks off at the start of Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPI). Japan-born Tsunoda and Neuro founders Ryan Chen and Kent Yoshimura found a deeper connection in a shared ethos and culture. "At Neuro, we've always admired those who exemplify excellence, resilience, and community spirit – qualities that Yuki Tsunoda embodies on and off the track," said Ryan Chen, Founder of Neuro Gum. "Sharing a common mindset to perform your best and win every day, with the shared heritage of rich Japanese values, has made this partnership deeply meaningful to all of us. We're honored to be a part of Yuki's journey, and excited to share more of this story with the world going forward." Neuro offers a range of functional gum and mints designed to support cognitive well-being. Neuro's Memory & Focus Gum combines American Ginseng (Cereboost®), L-theanine, and B-vitamins to improve working memory, sharpen focus, support stress management, and balance mood without sugar or the accompanying crash. Crafted with science-backed ingredients to support various aspects of brain health and productivity. Tsunoda is among a growing roster of top performers across music, art, sports, health, and wellness who trust and choose Neuro to enhance their cognition, mood, and performance, including Steve Aoki, Justin " Flores, and Kanak Jha. The partnership underscores Neuro's mission to help talented people cognitively unlock and realize their full potential, and alongside the folks performing at the top of their game, inspire focus worldwide. To learn more about Neuro and to stay informed on all that's to come from its partnership with Tsunoda, visit and NeuroGum on Instagram. About Neuro Founded in 2015 by co-founders Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen on a dive trip in Catalina, the two college friends were looking for a more sustainable way to be more productive each day. Neuro is revolutionizing the gum and mint category by using innovative, science-backed formulas to support memory, calm, and sleep. Made with a patented cold-compression technology, Neuro's gum and mints maintain optimal absorption and bioavailability while using the most sustainable, high-quality ingredients. The fastest-growing brand on TikTok in 2024, Neuro fuels people all around the globe to live their best lives. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts neuro@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
01-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Formula One Driver Yuki Tsunoda Joins Neuro Gum to Lock In at 200 MPH
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Formula One driver and motorsport rising star, Yuki Tsunoda, has teamed up with Neuro Gum Inc., the leader in functional gum and mints. Tsunoda joins an elite group of competitors, leaders, and creatives who use Neuro to fuel peak performance while prioritizing brain health. Currently competing in the Miami Grand Prix, 24-year-old Tsunoda is accustomed to a taxing travel and training schedule. Vocal about the pressures of professional motorsports, this season, he is investing more in his mental health in order to perform at the highest level. The ability to maintain focus and alertness while minimizing stress and anxiety is critical for these athletes who train and perform under intense physical demands that often require split-second decisions and tremendous stamina. 'I'm really excited to join the team at Neuro. It's a unique and innovative product that can easily fit into my daily routine and helps me perform at my best. With 24 races around the world, staying sharp and focused during every session is essential, and using Neuro plays a strong part in this. I also love that the brand reflects Japanese heritage, with both Kent and Ryan having roots in Japan – that connection makes it even more meaningful to be part of the team,' said Tsunoda. The partnership kicks off at the start of Asian & Pacific American Heritage Month (AAPI). Japan-born Tsunoda and Neuro founders Ryan Chen and Kent Yoshimura found a deeper connection in a shared ethos and culture. 'At Neuro, we've always admired those who exemplify excellence, resilience, and community spirit – qualities that Yuki Tsunoda embodies on and off the track,' said Ryan Chen, Founder of Neuro Gum. 'Sharing a common mindset to perform your best and win every day, with the shared heritage of rich Japanese values, has made this partnership deeply meaningful to all of us. We're honored to be a part of Yuki's journey, and excited to share more of this story with the world going forward.' Neuro offers a range of functional gum and mints designed to support cognitive well-being. Neuro's Memory & Focus Gum combines American Ginseng (Cereboost®), L-theanine, and B-vitamins to improve working memory, sharpen focus, support stress management, and balance mood without sugar or the accompanying crash. Crafted with science-backed ingredients to support various aspects of brain health and productivity. Tsunoda is among a growing roster of top performers across music, art, sports, health, and wellness who trust and choose Neuro to enhance their cognition, mood, and performance, including Steve Aoki, Justin ' Flores, and Kanak Jha. The partnership underscores Neuro's mission to help talented people cognitively unlock and realize their full potential, and alongside the folks performing at the top of their game, inspire focus worldwide. To learn more about Neuro and to stay informed on all that's to come from its partnership with Tsunoda, visit and NeuroGum on Instagram. Founded in 2015 by co-founders Kent Yoshimura and Ryan Chen on a dive trip in Catalina, the two college friends were looking for a more sustainable way to be more productive each day. Neuro is revolutionizing the gum and mint category by using innovative, science-backed formulas to support memory, calm, and sleep. Made with a patented cold-compression technology, Neuro's gum and mints maintain optimal absorption and bioavailability while using the most sustainable, high-quality ingredients. The fastest-growing brand on TikTok in 2024, Neuro fuels people all around the globe to live their best lives. For more information, visit
Al Etihad
16-04-2025
- Health
- Al Etihad
M42 launches MENA's first Centre for Advanced Neuro Biochemical Diagnostics
16 Apr 2025 19:53 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)The National Reference Laboratory (NRL), part of the M42 Group, is establishing the MENA region's first Centre for Advanced Neuro Biochemical Diagnostics dedicated to early detection, in partnership with Neurocode International, a global leader of neurology diagnostic on the sidelines of Abu Dhabi Global Health Week, the centre, based in Abu Dhabi, is a pioneering step toward reducing Alzheimer's cases in the UAE and wider region, and toward transforming neurological diagnostics disease is a major health issue, affecting over 57 million people globally as of 2021. It is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 60-70 per cent of cases, and this figure is on the detection of Alzheimer's is crucial for managing symptoms and slowing disease progression. However, traditional diagnostic methods are often invasive, typically involving spinal cord needle extraction, which results in low early detection Centre for Advanced Neuro Biochemical Diagnostics aims to revolutionise Alzheimer's diagnosis, by offering screening as early as age 40, through cutting-edge blood-based tests, ensuring timely intervention and significantly improving patient Jasem Al Nowais, Managing Director and Group CEO of M42, said, "This centre will revolutionise the early, proactive detection of Alzheimer's, underscoring our dedication to and the importance of preventive health. By focusing on early intervention, we aim to reduce the impact of Alzheimer's and improve the quality of life for patients in the UAE and beyond."The centre aims to establish the world's most advanced clinical diagnostic laboratory for brain disorders, guiding global clinicians in precision detection and ushering in a new era of neurological diagnostics. Its research will be published in top scientific journals, sharing findings with the wider medical laboratory will also offer world-class technology and clinical infrastructure, ensuring standardised test levels and cut-offs across leading laboratories for consistent, high-quality Laila AbdelWareth, CEO of NRL, said, "The establishment of the Centre for Advanced Neuro Biochemical Diagnostics marks a pivotal moment in the fight against Alzheimer's and other neurological disorders, with a sharp focus on advancing preventive health through precision detection."Expert-led research into neurological diagnostics will be a cornerstone of the Centre for Advanced Neuro Biochemical Diagnostics, with a full-time lab-based professor of neurology with dementia training from Gothenburg University. Prof. Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD, expert in the development of biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease and its diagnosis, and Prof. Kaj Blennow, MD, PhD, who is recognised for his instrumental role in developing early diagnostic tools for the disease, will both be off-site expert consultants for the Hans Frykman, CEO of Neurocode International, said, "We are delighted to announce the partnership with the visionary NRL to establish the world's leading clinical laboratory for brain disorders. With a team of the most experienced and renowned scientists in the field, we are poised to guide physicians in the Middle East and globally towards early and accurate diagnoses of Alzheimer's and other brain disorders." The launch marks not only a first for the MENA region but also a new era in global Alzheimer's research. By emphasising proactive prevention, the Centre for Advanced Neuro Biochemical Diagnostics aims to redefine the standard of care and significantly reduce the prevalence of Alzheimer's in the UAE and beyond.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
MP raises concerns around children's mental health with prime minister
Bicester and Woodstock's MP has called on the prime minister to address the delays children and young people face when trying to access mental health support. Calum Miller raised the concern during Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, February 5, highlighting the waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in Oxfordshire and beyond. Mr Miller described how these delays are depriving children of the support they need, and directly addressed Sir Keir Starmer with a case from his constituency. He said: "Agnes lives in my Bicester and Woodstock constituency. "In 2019, when she was nine, she was referred by her GP to child and adolescent mental health services. "Agnes has had to wait over five years for an assessment for the neurodiversity that has caused her crushing mental health problems." Mr Miller explained how Agnes's father, Jim, tried to accelerate her appointment. He said: "Last year, when Agnes's dad, Jim, sought to accelerate her appointment, he was told that CAMHS could not see her or prioritise her appointment, and I quote, 'unless Agnes is actively trying to kill herself'." Mr Miller asked the prime minister if he would meet with Agnes, Jim, and himself to hear their story. He also said Jim had asked him to raise the case because he wants to "ensure that no other child goes through the same experience as his daughter". Sir Keir Starmer responded: "Can I thank [Mr Miller] for raising this issue in that way and to pass on to Agnes and Jim just how impactful what he has said is and how important it is that he continues to raise this issue, because far too many children and young people are waiting far too long to receive the mental health support that they need, and we're determined to ensure that more children and young people can access high quality mental health support in a timely manner." Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Image: PA/James Manning) Shortages of funding and qualified staff in the NHS have led to a rapid expansion of the backlog for appointments in Oxfordshire. The average wait time for an autism assessment within the CAMHS Neuro Developmental Conditions pathway is three and a half years on average, according to a report by Oxford Health NHS Trust. Recent data from the children's commissioner found approximately one million children have active referrals for children and young people's mental health services in England in 2022-2023. Despite this, nearly a third of these children were still waiting for support, while almost 40 per cent had their referral closed before accessing support.
