The Signal in the Noise is the story of how one man survived radical brain surgery and went on to create a revolution in the neuropsychiatric interpretation of brain activity. It is a biographical documentary about Fargo-born neuroscientist Jay Gunkelman; one which explores the man and his research, and how both have changed the field of neuroscience and biopsychology, and explores the potential for change in the practices of psychiatry and epileptology.
The film introduces us to Jay Gunkelman, and how his exposure to toxic waste led to his diagnosis of a pituitary tumor. Viewers are provided with a history of electroencephalography, and its use in diagnosis and treatment of brain conditions. It covers Mr. Gunkelman's educational history, and relates some stories from his early days working with psychiatric patients in North Dakota. He discusses his influences, his mentors, and his research. Provided throughout are numerous interviews with Mr. Gunkelman's colleagues, including some of world's leading minds in neuroscience: Juri Kropotov, Dirk de Ridder, and Martijn Arns. Numerous other interviews are provided with a variety of neurosurgeons and neurologists, pediatric epileptologists, clinical psychologists, and other researchers in the manifold disciplines of studying the human brain and its functions. The film concludes with Jay Gunkeman's legacy, interviews with his mentees, and explores the potentials for how the fields of psychiatry and epileptology may change going forward.
