The Case of the Frozen Addicts

by J. William Langston, Jon Palfreman

In this riveting book, neurosurgeon J. William Langston and writer Jon Palfreman recount the bizarre and far-reaching mystery of six patients who arrived at San Francisco area emergency rooms after using a synthetic analogue of heroin. Fully conscious but unable to move or speak, they were soon diagnosed by Langston as having advanced Parkinson's disease. This spellbinding book offers a stunning report on these baffling cases. of photos.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Medicine, Drugs, Neuroscience, History, School

309 pages, Hardcover

First published May 2, 1995

Reviews

[Mika Gallati · Rating 5 out of 5]

- just wow. maybe it’s because I’m a scientist & so cases like this absolutely amaze me, but this book was written so well & the discoveries made from this tragedy were truly remarkable.
- this is definitely a book for someone interested in science or who works in science, but it is written in a way that is easily digestible!
- this book also let me know that paraquat (a compound I work with frequently) is actually toxic but no one told me (thank you academia). I will be more careful in the future.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A caveat: If you are an animal rights advocate, or are sensitive to the suffering of animals, this may not be a good reading choice for you. A large portion of the book is dedicated to animal studies, in which rats and monkeys are intentionally afflicted with Parkinson's disease and then "sacrificed" in order for their brains to be studied.

[Caleb Begly · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book on the discovery of the MPTP monkey model, "The Case of the Frozen Addicts" follows the frozen addicts that started the investigation, and the reasoning behind the production of the synthetic heroin that made them that way. Langston chronicles the initial discovery and the research it ignited in the years following. The 2014 edition has a follow-up interview with Langston and helps put the book into perspective. The book reads like a novel for the first half and then like a history book for the second half. Recommended read for those wondering about Parkinson's disease.

[Sindhur · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a thriller.
It takes you to the world of a medical problem ( PARKINSONS), it’s mysteries and the hostory in finding a treatment that can alter patients life. Will be an interesting read not just for medical professionals but also for people who wants to understand the disease, the patients and how far the treatment can help them.

[Ryan DeKorte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story overall, with good details. Could use some revision as some of the scientific topics were simplified poorly or inaccurately; overall this did not meaningfully detract from the story. Also seeing as this book is 30 yrs old, an updated epilogue would be interesting.

[Peter Wiercioch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine trying to synth up a novel opioid, and you screw up enough that it destroys your dopamine producing neurons. So you gave yourself Parkinson's at 26, but also gave great insight into the disease, and a great way to study it in animal models of Parkinson's disease. What a ride.

[Elizabeth Mossberg]

It's very educational, interesting and well-written. However, the last couple chapters were a disappointment.

[Ayat AR · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was really fascinating

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

fascinating on so many levels - the science, the legal/ethical considerations, and of course the personal stories

[XJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly engaging, rigorous, and consequently enjoyable to read!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm assigning excerpts of this to my psychopharmacology students. This book does a decent job of covering the ethical, political, and scientific angles of understanding brain pathologies. The science is accessible for the non-science person. An informative and entertaining read.

[Clarissa]

@Amy: Looking forward to reading this sometime. My program doesn't offer too much information on psychopharmacology, but given its importance in the treatment of psychiatric disorders I think it's important for me to be informed. Keep the recommendations coming!

[Ilana Pressel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was surprising how I got drawn into the book and the stories of the addicts. I thought this might be dry or too clinical, making it hard to read and follow but it was great. I learned a lot, while reading an interesting part of our scientific history.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting! Well worth the read!

[Sujata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it an excellent as it described what happens to Parkinson's patients who are bedridden
and inactive. I liked the through detail it went into describing 6 frozen addicts.