There is significant academic interest in the field of art and neurological disorders. Considering how artistic expression may be modified by alterations in neural circuits, as well as in our bodies 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 leading to human art making, and disease itself. This book will be an exposé of how different neurological disorders may influence and/or relate to the artistic process, with a particular focus on visual art and painting. The book will interrogate the question of different aspects of neurological disorders and associated brain changes that may impact artistic expression (and vice versa) and will include devoted chapters on Parkinsons disease, Epilepsy, Mood Disorders, Autism, and Schizophrenia. Moreover, we will elaborate on the question from the perspective 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 the book. 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. 

Alby RichardUniversité de MontrealCHUM, Department of NeurologyMontreal, Quebec, CanadaMatthew John PelowskiUniversity of ViennaVienna, AustriaBlanca Thea Maria SpeeUniversity of ViennaVienna, Austria

PART I MEDICINE.-Brain Research and Art? A Short History of Neurological Research and Creative Expression.- Where do artists come from? A review of the typical visually creative life and artistic brain as a basis for discussing potential neurodivergence or neurodegenerative change.- Creativity and Parkinsons Disease.- Mood Disorders& Creativity.- Art making in schizophrenia: A vision science perspective.- Epilepsy and Autism as Disorders of Brain Connectivity and Their Link to Artistic Expression.-PART IIOTHER RESEARCH AND ART SECTORS.-The contribution of non-invasive brain stimulation to the study of the neural bases of creativity and aesthetic appreciation.- Holding still, together.- Linking the neural correlates of reward and pleasure to aesthetic evaluations of beauty.-PART III THE NEXT STEPS NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES AND CREATIVITY.-The Potential of Causal Approaches in Creativity using Ultrasonic Brain Stimulation.-PART IV SHORT CHAPTERSFOR ARTIST VIEW AND EXPERIENCES.-The healing power of creativity and art.- Visual Representation of Bodily Sensations: The Taken-for-granted and the Alienated Body Bodily Self-awareness.