Neuroscience and Greek mythology.

This article highlights the major reflections of ancient Greek mythology in modern neuroscience. An analysis of ancient Greek texts and medical literature using the MeSH term mythology was performed to identify mythological references pertaining to neuroscience. The findings are discussed in relation to etymology, early conceptualization of the nervous system structure and function, incipient characterization of neuropsychiatric disease, and philosophical stance to the practice of medicine in ancient Greece. The search identified numerous observations in clinical neurology (e.g., stroke, epilepsy, cognitive and movement disorders, sleep, pain and neuromuscular medicine, neuroinfectious diseases, headache, neuroophthalmology, and neurourology), neurosurgery, and psychiatry, as well as basic neurosciences (e.g., anatomy, embryology, genetics, pathology, and pharmacology) concealed in ancient myths. Beyond mere etymological allure and imaginative reflections in science, these fables envisage philosophical concepts that still tantalize our protean medical practice today.

An Early Description of Using Oral Route for the Management of Cervical Vertebra Fracture by Ibn al-Quff in the Thirteenth Century.

OBJECTIVE: This study presents information regarding the treatment of fractures and dislocations of the vertebrae, including the use of the oral route for upper cervical fractures, presented in certain chapters of the book titled Kitab al-'Umda fi Sina'a al-Jiraha (Ibn al-Quff, thirteenth century ad). METHODS: A printed copy of the second volume of the book was studied. Chapters 22 ("On treatment of vertebral fractures") and 33 ("On treatment of vertebral dislocation") of the seventeenth treatise of this book were translated from Arabic into English. Each section is presented (in full text) in the Results section of this article. The findings were compared with the relevant literature and discussed to determine whether Ibn al-Quff presented novel information compared with that presented by his predecessors. RESULTS: The writings of Ibn al-Quff regarding vertebral dislocations seem to summarize information derived from his predecessors. Moreover, he modified certain approaches, previously described for vertebral dislocations, and used them for correcting vertebral fractures. Ibn al-Quff introduced the most novel use of a bridlelike instrument for anterior cervical fracture through the oral route. By introducing the device in the mouth, he described a pushing maneuver to the cervical vertebrae from the ventral site and a simultaneous pulling maneuver by cupping on the neck from the dorsal site. CONCLUSIONS: The use of the oral route introduced by Ibn al-Quff may be one of the earliest examples of novel, practical, and advanced treatment for cervical vertebral fracture.

[History of world neurosurgery].

In 5000 BC, South American tribes digged the bones in the living head to seek ways to communicate with the gods, which was primitive trephination and may be the first neurosurgical behavior. In 2600 BC, Imhotep in ancient Egypt took the brain out of the head from the nose, for a better preserve of the mummy, which was a prototype of modern transsphenoidal surgery. And the development of anatomy in ancient Greek laid a solid foundation for neurosurgery. From 500 to 1500 AD, the rise of religion and the occurrence of war, prompted a large number of craniocerebral trauma, which contributed greatly to the early development of neurosurgery as a distinct specialty. In 1861, Brocca astutely localized the language function to the third left frontal convolution in a series of studies, which was considered to be of landmark importance in the understanding of cerebral localization. In 1878, William Macewen performed a successful surgery to remove an en plaque meningioma with intrathecal anesthesia, representing the first modern neurosurgical operation. However, the contributions of the Americans, starting with Harvey Cushing, exerted a definitive force. Portuguese Moritz performed the first cerebral angiogram on a living schizophrenia patient in 1926. And he established the Moniz-Lima prefrontal leucotomy for the treatment of schizophrenia, for which he won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1949. In 1968, the Swiss scholar Yassagir firstly carried out neurosurgical surgeries under the microscope. China's neurosurgery was founded by Zhao Yicheng in 1952 in Tianjin, and the gap in neurosurgery between China and the world gradually narrowed after 60 years of development.

Trepanation in Ancient China.

Trepanation, the process of making a burr hole in the skull to access the brain, is an ancient form of a primitive craniotomy. There is widespread evidence of contributions made to this practice by ancient civilizations in Europe, Africa, and South America, where archaeologists have unearthed thousands of trepanned skulls dating back to the Neolithic period. Little is known about trepanation in China, and it is commonly believed that the Chinese used only traditional Chinese medicine and nonsurgical methods for treating brain injuries. However, a thorough analysis of the available archeological and literary evidence reveals that trepanation was widely practiced throughout China thousands of years ago. A significant number of trepanned Chinese skulls have been unearthed showing signs of healing and suggesting that patients survived after surgery. Trepanation was likely performed for therapeutic and spiritual reasons. Medical and historical works from Chinese literature contain descriptions of primitive neurosurgical procedures, including stories of surgeons, such as the legendary Hua Tuo, and surgical techniques used for the treatment of brain pathologies. The lack of translation of Chinese reports into the English language and the lack of publications on this topic in the English language may have contributed to the misconception that ancient China was devoid of trepanation. This article summarizes the available evidence attesting to the performance of successful primitive cranial surgery in ancient China.

75 years of neurosurgery at the University of Minnesota.

Neurosurgery began as a distinct discipline at the University of Minnesota in 1937 with the appointment of William Peyton as head of the division. Under the leadership of Peyton, Lyle French, and Shelley Chou, the Department rose to national prominence. Substantial contributions included the introduction of dexamethasone to the practice of neurosurgery by Galicich and French, early procedures for the transthoracic correction of spinal deformity, important contributions to the understanding of brain death, the early laboratory work that led to the development of nimodopine, one of the first intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging facilities in the United States (1996), and the training of many academic neurosurgeons and department chairmen. The challenges of managed care and more recent changes in the health care system have been met, and the Department is a thriving clinical, educational, and research center for 21st-century neurosurgery.

Neurosurgery in the Byzantine Empire: the contributions of Paul of Aegina (625-690 AD).

Paul of Aegina (625-690 AD) was born on the island of Aegina and was one of the most prominent physician-writers of the Byzantine Empire. His work Epitome of Medicine, comprised of 7 books, was a comprehensive compendium of the medical and surgical knowledge of his time and was subsequently translated into multiple languages. Paul of Aegina made valuable contributions to neurosurgical subjects and described procedures for the treatment of nerve injuries, hydrocephalus, and fractures of the skull and spine. His work combined the ancient knowledge of Hippocrates and Galen with contemporary medical observations and served as a bridge between Byzantine and Arabic medicine. He is considered to be one of the great ancient Greek medical writers and his work has influenced the subsequent evolution of Western European and Arab medicine. This paper provides an account of his contribution to the management of neurosurgical pathologies during the Byzantine era, as described in his medical compendium, Epitome of Medicine.

Otfrid Foerster (1873-1941)--self-taught neurosurgeon and innovator of reconstructive peripheral nerve surgery.

Otfrid Foerster (1873-1941) became a self-taught neurosurgeon during and after WW I, playing a critical role in the development of peripheral nerve reconstruction. Although best known for describing dermatomes, he published over 300 articles on the nervous system. Confronted by thousands of nerve injuries during WW I, as well as poor results and disinterest from his surgical colleagues, Foerster began performing neurolysis and tension-free nerve repairs himself under emergency conditions. He pioneered grafting motor nerve defects by expendable cutaneous nerves (e.g., sural) and performed intraplexal neurotizations and various nerve transfers, such as the pectoral, subscapular, long thoracic, and thoracodorsal nerves in brachial plexus injuries. Foerster championed rehabilitation, recognizing the potential of electrostimulation and physiotherapy to influence cortical reorganization (brain plasticity) and improve recovery after nerve injury. Foerster died from tuberculosis in 1941, leaving a rich reconstructive peripheral nerve legacy; his innovative and visionary spirit serves as a role model.

Functional neurosurgery. The modulation of neural and mind circuits.

Different complex neuroanatomical and neurochemical circuits regulate a variety of neuronal behaviors and brain functions. Any disturbance in these circuits can generate functional disorders such as movement disorders, epilepsy, pain, memory disorders, and psychiatric disorders. Functional neurosurgery aims to restore these functions, either by removing or isolating the abnormally behaving neurons or by modulating the disturbed circuits. Neuromodulation is a fast-growing field, powered by the recent advances in neuroimaging and technology. Here, we discuss recent advances and new horizons in functional neurosurgery.

The development of military medical care for peripheral nerve injuries during World War I.

Although the clinical and electrical diagnoses and treatments of peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) had been described prior to World War I, many reports were fragmented and incomplete. Individual physicians' experiences were not extensive, and in 1914 the patient with a PNI remained a subject of medical curiosity, and was hardly a focus of comprehensive care. World War I altered these conditions; casualties with septic wounds and PNIs swamped the general hospitals. By 1915, specialized hospitals or wards were developed to care for neurological injuries. In the United Kingdom, Sir Robert Jones developed the concept of Military Orthopedic Centres, with coordinated specialized care and rehabilitation. Military appointments of neurologists and electrotherapists sharpened clinical diagnoses and examinations. Surgical techniques were introduced, then discarded or accepted as surgeons developed skills to meet the new conditions. The US Surgeon General, William Gorgas, and his consultant in neurosurgery, Charles Frazier, went a step further, with the organization of a research laboratory as well as the establishment of a Peripheral Nerve Commission and Registry. Despite these developments and good intentions, postwar follow-up for PNIs remained incomplete at best. Records were lost, personnel transferred, and patients discharged from the system. The lack of a standardized grading system seriously impaired the ability to record clinical changes and compare outcomes. Nevertheless, specialized treatment of a large number of PNIs during World War I established a foundation for comprehensive care that influenced military medical services in the next world war.

Hyperbaric oxygen in neurosurgery.

BACKGROUND: The therapeutic use of pure oxygen, even under hyperbaric conditions, has been well established for about 50 years, whereas the discovery of oxygen occurred 250 years earlier. Many neurosurgical patients suffer from brain tissue damage, due to reduced blood flow, obstructive vessel disease, or as a result of traumatic brain injury. METHODS AND RESULTS: The application of pure oxygen in these patients is the only method of increasing the O(2) concentration in tissue with impaired blood supply and can minimize secondary impairment of brain tissue. DISCUSSION: In this brief historical overview we focus on the development and evidence of hyperbaric oxygenation in this specific field of insufficient oxygen supply to the central neural tissue. CONCLUSION: With the use of modern biological methods and new study designs, HBO has a place in evidence-based treatment of patients with neural tissue damage.

History of peripheral nerve repair: may the procedure have been practiced in Hippocratic School?

BACKGROUND: The literature regarding the history of the peripheral nerve repair is fairly scant. In the past, few physicians dealt with the topic and made prominent contributions. These works certainly eased the way to the modern concept of surgery of peripheral nerves. During the period between 7th and 17th centuries, Paulus Aeginatus, Avicenna, Roger of Salerno, Guglielmo da Saliceto, Guido Lanfranchi, and Gabriele Ferrara, who are universally accepted as the pioneers in this field, introduced the notion of nerve repair. The central predecessor of all these authors and as well as the founder of modern medicine, Hippocrates, also had reliable interest on peripheral nerve injuries; nevertheless, his written works do not include any section concerning peripheral nerve repair. An exciting document from Ottoman era challenges this issue by citing Hippocrates' nerve repair description. In this report, we present this account with a brief history of nerve repair. METHODS: The relevant section of an early 16th century Ottoman surgical treatise was examined in detail. RESULTS: The chapter regarding the treatments of acute wounds includes an anecdotal case report of nerve repair which is attributed to Hippocrates. CONCLUSIONS: Although attainable works of Hippocrates do not contain nerve repair procedures this Ottoman era medical book suggest that Hippocrates or his pupils may have practiced surgical treatment of nerve injury.

Epilepsy surgery in China.

Epilepsy surgery began in China from the 1950s to the 1960s, after the People's Republic of China was established (hereinafter as China). However, its rapid growth occurred in recent 10 years with the implement of reform and open policy. The growth is mainly manifested in basic and clinical aspects. As for clinical development, the qualities and quantities of epilepsy surgery have been to an increasing trend gradually. A survey undertaken by the China Association Against Epilepsy (CAAE) in June 2006 at the major six cities in different parts of the country showed a dramatic increase particularly in the years 2004 and 2006. Surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy accounts for half of the operation and it has played an important role in the treatment of the drug resistant epilepsy. With large population and vast geographical spread, it is important to further develop the service, especially for the pediatric epilepsy surgery in China, because the earlier operation for patients with real intractable epilepsy, the better outcome with seizure control and neuropsychologic recovery.

Concept and treatment of hydrocephalus in the Greco-Roman and early Arabic medicine.

In the ancient medical literature hydrocephalus was not often described although its existence and symptomatology were well known. Most detailed descriptions of hydrocephalus including the surgical treatment are extant in the encyclopaedic works on medicine of the physicians Oreibasios and Aetios from Amida from the 4th and 6th centuries AD, respectively. Because of their broad scientific interests, this type of physicians, typical for the late Roman empire, were known as philosophy-physicians (iota alpha tau rho o sigma o phi iota sigma tau alpha iota). They defined hydrocephalus in contrast to our present understanding as a fluid collection excluding abscesses visible as a bulging tumour localised either outside or inside the skull of an infant. They classified the hydrocephalus similar as stated first by Galen in the 2nd century AD in four types corresponding to the assumed anatomic localisation of the fluid collection: 1st Type between the skin and the pericranium corresponding to the subgaleal haematoma or caput succedaneum of the newborn in our terminology, 2nd Type between the pericranium and the skull corresponding to the cephal haematoma after delivery, 3rd Type between skull and the meninges with increased head circumference, bone sutures being increasingly driven apart corresponding most likely to the hydrocephalus in our understanding, and 4th Type between the menings and the brain characterised by severe neurological deficit with lethal prognosis corresponding probably to all pathologies which were accompanied by an excessive increase of the intracranial pressure with a bulging fontanel. Due to the lack of autopsies in ancient times, the hydrocephalus was never linked to the pathology of the ventricles. All forms of hydrocephalus were believed to be caused by improper handling of the head by the midwife during delivery. Only the extracranial fluid collections, but not hydrocephalus in our sense, were considered to be suitable for surgical treatment. The surgery consisted in one or more incisions and evacuation of the fluid. The wound was not closed but let open for three days. Thereafter plasters or sutures closed the incisions. The surgical technique goes back probably to Antyllos a surgeon from the 3rd century AD whose considerations were cited in the work of Oreibasios. The early Arabic physicians took over the surgical indications, the operative technique and modified the Greek concept of hydrocephalus. Avicenna separated the traumatic haematomas outside the skull from the term hydrocephalus. However Avicenna, as all previous authors, had not linked hydrocephalus with the ventricular system. The autopsy of a child with an exorbitant hydrocephalus performed by the anatomist Vesalius in the 16th century revealed as a single pathology an extremely dilative ventricular system filled with water-like fluid which made it necessary to change completely the ancient concept of hydrocephalus.

From trephination to tailored resection: neurosurgery in Germany before World War II.

Evidence exists that trephination was performed in Germany as early as the Stone Age. Late medieval barber surgeons further developed instruments and techniques for this procedure. Various surgeons performed individual cranial operations before the 1870s, and neurosurgery evolved as a distinct discipline in Germany around 1934. Before the 20th century, most cranial operations in Germany, as in other European countries, were performed for trauma. Since approximately 1870, a few individuals with a devoted interest in surgery of the nervous system have developed operative techniques for the brain and spinal cord. Wilhelm Wagner, Fedor Krause, Ernst von Bergmann, and Otfrid Foerster were among these pioneers. Through independent research based on careful clinical observation, these physicians contributed significantly to an understanding of the pathophysiology of nervous system disorders that could be treated surgically. They designed techniques, such as those used for intracranial pressure regulation, and developed operative procedures, such as the osteoplastic flap of Wagner, and cortical stimulation, which was performed by Krause and Foerster.

History of spine surgery in the ancient and medieval worlds.

There is a paucity of surviving texts from ancient and medieval times that can shed light on the early development of spine surgery. Nevertheless, the author reviews many of the available books and fragments and discusses early developments in the field of spine surgery from the point of view of physicians' personalities, general themes, and actual surgical practices. For purposes of an overview and to highlight changing trends in spine surgery, he divides the paper into four eras of medicine: 1) Egyptian and Babylonian; 2) Greek and early Byzantine; 3) Arabic; and 4) medieval.

A brief history of therapy for traumatic spinal cord injury.

There are few more devastating injuries that afflict man than those associated with spinal cord injury (SCI). The economic, psychological, and social impact are encompassing and enormous to the individual and society. During the last several years, there has been a renewed interest in the study of SCI, with the hope of finding a cure. It is appropriate, then, to examine the efforts accomplished throughout medical history. With this retrospective view, potential avenues for future treatment become more apparent and clear. As in the past, the integration of basic science and clinical innovation will create the path toward progress for treatment of this disease.

Functional anatomy of the spine by Avicenna in his eleventh century treatise Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canons of Medicine).

The history of spinal surgery is an important part of the spine-related sciences. The development of treatment strategies for spine-related disorders is acquired from the Western literature. In this article, an Eastern physician, Ibn Sina, who is known as Avicenna in the West, and his treatise, Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (the Canons of Medicine), are presented. Eight chapters of this book regarding the functional neuroanatomy of the spine were reviewed and are presented to give insight into the development of the understanding of spinal anatomy and biomechanics.

Ibn Sina (Avicenna). Historical note.

Ibn Sina (often known by his last name in Latin, Avicenna; 980-1037 A.D.) was the most famous physician and philosopher of his time. His Canon of Medicine, one of the most famous books in the history of medicine, surveyed the entire medical knowledge available from ancient and Muslim sources and provided his own contributions. In this article the authors present a unique picture of the neurosurgical technique of Ibn Sina and briefly summarize his life and work.

[History of autologous blood transfusion in neurosurgical operations].

The first report on predeposit autologous blood transfusion was made in 1921 by F.C. Grant, neurosurgeon in the University Hospital of Pennsylvania. The patient was a 42-year-old man with cerebellar tumor, having a rare blood type for which no donor had been listed up. 500 ml of autologous blood was obtained, kept in 0.2% sodium citrate solution in a refrigerator and retransfused following a suboccipital exploration. Clinically, no reaction was noted and there was a favorable postoperative course, and 'autotransfusion' was evaluated as a life-saving procedure. In 1925, L.E. Davis and H. Cushing reported the first case of intraoperative autotransfusion (intraoperative blood salvage). The patient was a 42-year-old man with left occipital meningioma which, due to massive bleeding, could not be removed even by two-stage operations. In a 3rd stage operation, they could remove the tumor of 120 g totally by the aid of intraoperative replacement using 600 ml autologous blood collected with a home-made suction apparatus. No adverse side-effect was noted. This procedure was performed for 23 cases and it revealed beneficial effects except in one case. In ten of the cases, the procedure was estimated as a life-saving treatment. At the present time, the appropriate use of the patients' blood for transfusion therapy is recommended due to a shortage of donors. The use of autologous blood could play a key role, not only in saving the homologous blood supply, but also in avoiding complications encountered in conventional transfusion treatments. The methods of 'Autotransfusion' originated from operations in the neurosurgical area. On that account, it is desirable that neurosurgeons should be concerned with this subject even now.