[The sound and musical preferences of tympanic chord]. / GESCHMACKSnerv & MusikGESCHMACK : Anatomische und musikalische Betrachtungen zur Chorda tympani.

The tympanic chord is a part of the 7th cranial nerve (facial nerve), from which it branches off, runs through the middle ear and then joins the lingual nerve, a part of the 5th cranial nerve (mandibular nerve/trigeminal nerve). Despite its course through the ear, the tympanic chord does not carry auditory fibers, but rather sensory and parasympathetic fibers to the front part of the tongue and to the salivary glands.The cranial nerves V and VII have a common phylogenetic origin, establishing a close relationship between auditory and gustative sense.In German language "Geschmack" means both gustative sense and the preference for different ways of thinking or styles in music, art or fashion. "Musikgeschmack" is the preference for special music styles or composers. "Musikgeschmack" therefore forms an interface between the anatomy of the tympanic chord and music preferences.The effect of parallel processing of music and taste is used, for example, in music therapy or as part of marketing strategies. But it could also be used to treat Covid-19 patients who suffer from a loss of sense of smell and taste. However, there are still no studies on this specific question.

Some Interesting Points of Competition of X-Ray using during the Greco-Ottoman War in 1897 and Development of Neurosurgical Radiology: A Reminiscence.

AIM: To investigate the competition of radiologic development between Turkey and Greece during the Greco-Ottoman War when the first application of X-Ray took place. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literature review was conducted, and we searched the published papers about X-Ray using during the Greco-Turkish War in 1897. RESULTS: The use of X-Rays in the military dates to the Greco-Ottoman War in 1897, which is an important issue because X-ray was first specifically used in this war. The radiographic images were used to show the evidence of pieces of bullets and shrapnel inside the bodies of soldiers. CONCLUSION: The experience of the Ottoman Empire and Greece is important for the development of neurosurgical radiology. Both Greek and Turkish parts used the X-Ray technology before any of the risks and adverse effects were unknown. More studies are required.

The Influence of Music on Neurosurgical Cases: A Neglected Knowledge.

BACKGROUND: The human brain can respond to and participate in music. Learning to play a musical instrument requires complex multimodal skills involving the simultaneous perception of several sensory modalities. In case of brain damage, the musician and nonmusician brains may have different capacities for reorganization and neural remapping. We aimed to investigate the effect of music on patients who had a brain tumor and/or underwent a neurosurgical procedure, comparing the recovery of those who had a musical background with those who did not. METHODS: A literature review was performed to search for any evidence on this issue. We divided the cases into two groups: as group I consisted of the nonmusician patients, while group II consisted of musicians with a neurosurgical disease. Studies were rated from 0 (no effect) to 4 (high effect). RESULTS: We found seven published studies as well as case reports. It was observed that the outcomes and quality of life of the musician group were better than those of the control groups or nonmusician patients in all of the investigated studies, but no statistical difference between musicians and nonmusicians was found. CONCLUSION: Music-related structural changes in the brain may occur in musicians. However with limited number of cases, it cannot be assorted the improved recovery in musicians after neurosurgical disease or procedures by his or her enhanced plasticity. There are limited number of cases, for that reason, it cannot be assorted the improved recovery in musicians after neurosurgical disease or procedures by his or her enhanced plasticity. Professional musicians, who are making a living through their musical abilities, may also have a strong motivation to undergo stressful and enduring rehabilitation. An early restart of the musical activity in musicians with neurosurgical disease may lead to better outcomes, better quality of life, and better psychological parameters, in a shorter time than in nonmusicians.

Interesting different survival status of musicians with malignant cerebral tumors.

Introduction: The education of a musician may have an effect on the neuronal functions and organization of the brain, promote brain plasticity, resulting in functional and structural changes. A variety of malign cerebral tumors have affected the musician, instrumentalist or singer, at some time during their lives. No comprehensive investigation for musicians with malignant tumors has been performed yet. The aims of the study are to investigate if there is a relationship between the performed music style (classic or pop/rock) and the malignancy of the tumor.Patients and methods: The key words were 'neurosurgery and music' and the names of composers. We used digital catalogs like 'Pubmed' as well as the libraries of universities. We investigated a list of people with brain tumors from the English Wikipedia. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_with_brain_tumors).We divided musicians into two groups according to their performing of classic or rock-pop music, and their gender.Results: We found 27 classic and rock/pop musicians who suffered from malign cerebral tumors. The median survival time estimations were 18 (mean 22.33, 95% CI ranged from 7.49 to 37.17) months for pop-rock musicians and 8 (mean 8.67, 95% CI ranged from 4.13 to 12.19) months for classical music performers. However, in Cox regression analysis, performed classical music type was associated with an increased risk of early death, lesser survival time age associated with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) of 1.06 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.020 to 1.111; p = .004),Conclusion: In musicians with malign cerebral tumors, music type performed by musician may affect the survival status, classical musicians have a worse outcome than rock-pop musicians.

Analyzing of dark past and bright present of neurosurgical history with a picture of musicians.

AIM: Currently, neurosurgery has gone through moments of great renewal, however, in the first half of the 20th century, unwanted outcome after surgical approach had occurred. The aim of this historical overview of a picture of the musicians is to show the development of Neurosurgery in 20 century. METHODS: History of neurosurgery in the first half of the 20th century and the current was investigated through PubMed. A brief tour of some of the major landmarks of contemporary neurosurgery was also made. RESULTS: A musician picture was found which taken in 1928. Two of the musicians suffered neurosurgical disorder, and operated in 1937, both immediately died without gaining conscious at early postoperative period. CONCLUSION: We described the role of neurosurgery in the lives of two famous musicians, George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel. A picture taken 1928, shows the developing of Neurosurgery from first half of 20th century to current.

Neurosurgery and Music; Effect of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

BACKGROUND: The nervous system works like a great orchestra. Specifically, the music of Mozart with its "Mozart effect" is appropriate to use in neurosurgery. We investigated the relationship between Mozart's music and neurosurgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used digital catalogs like "PubMed" and the libraries of universities. Key words were "Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart" and "neurosurgery and music." RESULTS: In the first half of the 20th century, performing neurosurgery on some musicians, such as Maurice Ravel, Josef Hassid, and George Gershwin, resulted in a fatal outcome. The cause of this is probably that neurosurgery had not been developed yet in the first half of the 20th century. In the past 3 decades, the neurosurgical operations of musicians show that musicians have rich associations among auditory, somatic, and sensorial systems. CONCLUSION: It is clear that we have much to learn from studies about music and brain function that derive from our surgical experiences with patients. The neuronal plasticity of musicians' brains may be different from that of nonmusicians' brains. Musicians with enhanced motor skills have greater capacity for plasticity because of enriched interhemispheric connections. Listening to music and the effect of Mozart in neurosurgical practice, intensive care, or rehabilitation were documented in many studies. As authors, we mean something different: Its effectiveness should be studied. We concluded that in current neurosurgical practice, Mozart has an effect. More research and clinical studies are needed.

First Report of Awake Craniotomy of a Famous Musician: Suprasellar Tumor Surgery of Pianist Clara Haskil in 1942.

Clara Haskil (January 7, 1895-December 7, 1960) was one of the most famous female pianists of the 20th century. In her life and work she set new standards in piano playing. However, her career was beset by poor health and the adversities of two world wars. In her lifetime Haskil had three major disorders: juvenile scoliosis requiring treatment in her adolescence, a tumor of the sellar region requiring surgery at age 47 years, and a traumatic brain injury causing her death at the age of 65. Her medical history illustrates the development of surgical methods and rehabilitation in medicine before and after World War II. At an early age, she spent a year in a nursing home for orthopedic diseases due to scoliosis. In 1942, when she was 47 years old, she displayed the first symptoms of a suprasellar brain tumor: headache and hemianopsia. The famous surgeon Marcel David performed surgery on her without general anesthesia while Haskil mentally played a Mozart piano concerto as a neuronal representation to control her memory and mental abilities. Only 3 months after that operation she played a Mozart piano concerto at a concert that began her career as a great interpreter of Mozart. Her neurologic rehabilitation was remarkable and highlighted new methods in the field. In 1960, she traveled to Brussels for a concert. In the train station she stumbled on the stairs and hit her head on one of the steps. Skull fracture and intracranial hematoma were diagnosed. Doctors tried to operate on her but she lost consciousness and died. Haskil created new styles in piano playing, and her medical history offers indications of new concepts in neurosurgery.

The Unforgettable Neurosurgical Operations of Musicians in the Last Century.

BACKGROUND: There has been no study of craniotomies of famous musicians throughout history. This subject was investigated. METHODS: The key search words were "neurosurgery and music" and the names of composers. We used digital catalogs such as PubMed as well as university libraries. RESULTS: We found 4 musicians from the twentieth century with different neurosurgical diseases: Maurice Ravel, George Gershwin, Clara Haskil, and Pat Martino. CONCLUSIONS: Neurosurgical operations affected the musical careers and lives of mentioned musicians and two of them died. Neurosurgeons can understand the effect of limited diagnostic tools such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography at the time on the poor outcome of 2 musicians.

[Psychological and psychoanalytical issues in Schreker's opera "Die Gezeichneten"]. / Psychologische und psychoanalytische Grundlagen in Schrekers Musikdrama "Die Gezeichneten".

Franz Schrekers opera "Die Gezeichneten" is the artistically answer to Sigmund Freud's psychoanalysis. The proceedings in this drama discuss some principles of psychoanalyses. The figures show typical psychological mechanisms like repression, sublimation or regression and also the typical symptoms of neurosis. During the date of origin of the opera, Freud's method of psychoanalysis becomes well known and a lot of physicians and psychologists begin with their education in it. Themes like the theory of sexuality by Freud were discussed in the Vienna society. The story contains all mechanisms of psychoanalysis and discloses the psychopathology of the society of "fín de siègle" on the end of the 19th century. Franz Schreker's opera is like a forecasting of the nemesis, which in Europe occurs two decades later. The figures of the opera show the central facts of psychoanalysis and their artificial expression in music and performance.

[Genius between music and disease: Medical considerations on Ludwig van Beethoven]. / Genie zwischen Kunst und Krankheit: Medizinische Betrachtungen zu Ludwig van Beethoven.

Ludwig van Beethoven is nowadays considered to be one of the greatest composers in the history of music and his myth-like reputation is enhanced by his deafness; however, deafness was not the only condition which affected his genius. Due to the many lamentations contained in his letters about continuously recurring health problems, various attempts at an interpretation of Beethoven's personality have been undertaken. These included psychoanalytical considerations with respect to his father-mother relationship and also diagnostic attempts with reference to the symptoms of a possible borderline personality syndrome. The aim of this article is to comprehensively analyze the diseases of the patient Beethoven from the perspective of specialized medical disciplines based on new research results, to summarize various discipline-specific considerations and to make a contemporary assessment from the viewpoint of current scientific results.