Frankenstein; or, the modern Prometheus: a classic novel to stimulate the analysis of complex contemporary issues in biomedical sciences.

BACKGROUND: Advances in biomedicine can substantially change human life. However, progress is not always followed by ethical reflection on its consequences or scientists' responsibility for their creations. The humanities can help health sciences students learn to critically analyse these issues; in particular, literature can aid discussions about ethical principles in biomedical research. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, the modern Prometheus (1818) is an example of a classic novel presenting complex scenarios that could be used to stimulate discussion. MAIN TEXT: Within the framework of the 200th anniversary of the novel, we searched PubMed to identify works that explore and discuss its value in teaching health sciences. Our search yielded 56 articles, but only two of these reported empirical findings. Our analysis of these articles identified three main approaches to using Frankenstein in teaching health sciences: discussing the relationship between literature and science, analysing ethical issues in biomedical research, and examining the importance of empathy and compassion in healthcare and research. After a critical discussion of the articles, we propose using Frankenstein as a teaching tool to prompt students to critically analyse ethical aspects of scientific and technological progress, the need for compassion and empathy in medical research, and scientists' responsibility for their discoveries. CONCLUSION: Frankenstein can help students reflect on the personal and social limits of science, the connection between curiosity and scientific progress, and scientists' responsibilities. Its potential usefulness in teaching derives from the interconnectedness of science, ethics, and compassion. Frankenstein can be a useful tool for analysing bioethical issues related to scientific and technological advances, such as artificial intelligence, genetic engineering, and cloning. Empirical studies measuring learning outcomes are necessary to confirm the usefulness of this approach.

¿Y si prescribimos arte? El papel del arte en la mejora de la salud y el bienestar / What if we prescribe art? The role of the arts in improving health and well-being

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Felipe Trigo: un escritor médico (cuasi) olvidado / Felipe Trigo: a physician writer (almost) forgotten

Felipe Trigo (1864-1916) fue uno de los médicos escritores más importantes de la época de la Restauración borbónica. Fue médico rural y médico militar pero fue especialmente conocido por su obra literaria y periodística. Entre sus obras más importantes figuran El médico rural (1912) y Jarrapellejos (1914), donde realiza una profunda crítica de la sociedad española de la época. Trigo fue conocido por sus obras de literatura erótica por las que fue atacado en su tiempo, lo que contribuyó a su olvido después de su muerte. El médico rural contiene numerosos elementos autobiográficos del tiempo que ejerció como la medicina en pueblos extremeños. Tiene un notable interés para conocer cómo era la práctica de los médicos, su conocimiento de los avances médicos del siglo XIX y las relaciones que ese establecían con el pueblo llano y la estructura caquicil dominante. Después de décadas de práctico olvido, Trigo vuelve a ser considerado como uno de los médicos escritores más notables de su generación

Felipe Trigo (1864-1916) was one of the most important writers of the Borbonic Restoration period. He was a country physician and military physician, but he was especially known by his literary and journalistic work. Among his most important literary, we should show up El médico rural (1912) and Jarrapellejos (1914), where he performed a strong critical approach of the Spanish society of his time. He was also known by his erotic novels, which were strongly attacked at the time. This fact contributed to the oblivion of his works after the Trigo’s death. El médico rural contains many autobiographical elements of the time he worked as physician in country villages of Extremadura. The novel has an outstanding interest to know how was the medical practice of country physicians, their knowledge of the medical advances of the late nineteenth century and their social relationships with plain people and the local rulers. After decades of being almost forgotten, Trigo is now recognized as one of the physician writers more noteworthy of his generation

La universidad y los estudios de medicina en El árbol de la ciencia, de Pío Baroja / The university and the medical studies in El árbol de la ciencia of Pío Baroja

En los últimos años ha aumentado el interés por las obras literarias como un elemento importante para comprender mejor los aspectos subjetivos del proceso de enfermar. Asimismo, se ha reconocido su valor docente en los estudios de ciencias de la salud para facilitar una visión global de la vivencia de la enfermedad. Las obras de los médicos escritores tienen la ventaja adicional de que permiten observar la realidad que vivieron bajo el doble prisma de la literatura y la medicina. En el presente artículo se muestra una visión de la formación médica durante la restauración borbónica en opinión de uno de los escritores españoles más importantes del siglo XX, Pío Baroja, a través de su novela El árbol de la ciencia, de marcado carácter autobiográfico, y de sus memorias. En ambas obras muestra una visión muy pesimista de la formación y de los profesores de la época, que es contrastada con las opiniones de otros autores. Se concluye que las obras literarias tienen interés para explicar situaciones históricas específicas, pero deben analizarse en comparación con las fuentes históricas para valorar el componente subjetivo del autor en su justa medida

In the last decades, the interest of literary works as an element to enhance the knowledge in the subjective issues of disease process has increased. Moreover, its pedagogical value in the teaching of health science students has been recognized to allow a better understanding of how patients feel their disease. The works of physicians-writers have the additional interest that they permit to observe the reality of their time under the double approach of literature and medicine. The present article shows a view of the medical training during the Spanish Restoration following the opinion of one of the most important Spanish writers of the twentieth century, Pío Baroja. For this purpose, we review his novel El árbol de la ciencia, an autobiographical work, as well as his personal memoirs. In both, Baroja had a high pessimistic view of his medical training and of his university professors that has been compared with data from other authors. We conclude that literary works of physicians-writers are of interest to learn about their specific time but should be compared with historical sources to evaluate the subjective component of each author in the right way

The Ethical Interest of Frankenstein; Or, the Modern Prometheus: A Literature Review 200 Years After Its Publication.

Two hundred years after it was first published, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; or, the modern Prometheus remains relevant. This novel has endured because of its literary merits and because its themes lend themselves to analysis from multiple viewpoints. Scholars from many disciplines have examined this work in relation to controversial scientific research. In this paper, we review the academic literature where Frankenstein is used to discuss ethics, bioethics, science, technology and medicine. We searched the academic literature and carried out a content analysis of articles discussing the novel and films derived from it, analyzing the findings qualitatively and quantitatively. We recorded the following variables: year and language of publication, whether it referred to the novel or to a film, the academic discipline in which it was published, and the topics addressed in the analysis. Our findings indicate that the scientific literature on Frankenstein focuses mainly on science and the personality of the scientist rather than on the creature the scientist created or ethical aspects of his research. The scientist's responsibility is central to the ethical interest of Frankenstein; this issue entails both the motivation underlying the scientist's acts and the consequences of these acts.

From Marcus Welby, M.D. to The resident: The changing portrayal of physicians in TV medical dramas / Desde Marcus Welby, M.D. hasta The resident: los cambios en las representaciones de los médicos en las series de televisión

Over the years, the way medical dramas represent health professionals has changed. When the first medical dramas were broadcasted, the main characters were good, peaceful, intelligent, competent, empathic, and successful physicians. One of the most famous, even outside the US, was Marcus Welby M.D. (1969-1976) of David Victor –which this year marks 50 years since its first emission. This depiction began to change in the mid-1990s. While maintaining the over positive image of medical doctors, TV series started to put more emphasis on their negative characteristics and difficulties in their interpersonal relationships, such as ER (TV) by Michael Crichton (United States) and House MD (TV) by David Shore (United States). In these series, physicians were portrayed as arrogant, greedy, and adulterous, and their diagnostic and therapeutic errors were exposed. The last two series are The Good Doctor (TV) by David Shore (United States), with a resident of surgery with autism and Savant syndrome, and The Resident (TV) by Amy Holden Jones, Hayley Schore and Roshan Sethi (United States), where serious institutional problems appear. These series can be useful as a method to discuss medical ethics through positive or negative examples, and also help to represent changes in the image of physicians in recent decades, discussing the reasons for these changes

La forma en que las series de televisión representan a los médicos ha cambiado a lo largo de los años. En las primeras, los personajes principales eran buenos, pacíficos, inteligentes, competentes, empáticos y exitosos. Por ejemplo, Marcus Welby M.D. (TV) de David Victor (Estados Unidos), que este año cumple 50 años desde su primera emisión. Esta representación comenzó a cambiar a mediados de la década de 1990. Mientras mantenían una imagen positiva, se comenzó a poner más énfasis en sus características negativas, y sus dificultades en las relaciones interpersonales, como ER (TV) de Michael Crichton (Estados Unidos) y Doctor House (TV) de David Shore (Estados Unidos). Los médicos fueron descritos como arrogantes, codiciosos y adúlteros, y se mostraban sus errores. Las últimas dos series estrenadas son The Good Doctor (TV) de David Shore (Estados Unidos), con un residente de cirugía con autismo y síndrome de Savant, y The Resident (TV) de Amy Holden Jones, Hayley Schore y Roshan Sethi (Estados Unidos), donde aparecen serios problemas institucionales. Estas series pueden ser útiles como un método para discutir problemas de la ética médica mediante ejemplos positivos o negativos, y también ayudan a representar los cambios en la imagen de los médicos en las últimas décadas, discutiendo las razones de estos cambios

Las alucinaciones visuales en la obra de Oliver Sacks / Visual hallucinations in the works of Oliver Sacks

Introducción: Las alucinaciones visuales constituyen una de las manifestaciones más singulares de diversas situaciones clínicas, ya sea en el ámbito de las enfermedades mentales, de las alteraciones físicas o del consumo de drogas. Sin embargo, el análisis detallado de su vivencia en relación con las causas que pueden producirlas es poco frecuente. Objetivo: Considerar la representación de las alucinaciones visuales en las publicaciones del neurólogo y escritor Oliver Sacks, con especial atención a su obra Hallucinations. Desarrollo: Las alucinaciones han llamado la atención de la cultura, la religión y el arte, lo que ha conllevado múltiples interpretaciones. El interés de Sacks por la percepción de las sensaciones le llevó a investigar los mecanismos por los que se producen las alucinaciones, debido al escaso conocimiento que se tenía sobre el tema. Las alucinaciones aparecieron ya en obras como Migraine, Awakenings o A leg to stand on. En Musicophilia abordó las alucinaciones auditivas, y en Hallucinations las consideró de forma monográfica. En esta última obra, Sacks analizó especialmente las presentes en el síndrome de Charles Bonnet, en situaciones de privación sensorial y en pacientes con epilepsia, las precipitadas por la levodopa y las causadas por drogas de abuso. Conclusiones: Hallucinations es una de las obras de Oliver Sacks con mayor contenido neurooftalmológico. La descripción de las alucinaciones de sus pacientes o las experimentadas en su propia piel y la reflexión sobre el mundo de la percepción hacen de Hallucinations una de las obras más fascinantes de Sacks

Introduction: Hallucinations are one of the most bizarre experiences in several diseases. They appear in mental diseases as well as in physical illnesses and may be the consequence of the usage of drugs of abuse. However, a detailed analysis of how patients feel under hallucinations caused by different diseases is uncommon. Aim: This article analyses how visual hallucinations are considered in the works of the neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks, with special attention to his book Hallucinations. Development: Hallucinations have been under consideration by culture, religion and arts, which has led to multiple interpretations. Sackss interest in perception of sensations led him to work on the analysis of hallucinations, given the limited knowledge on the topic. References to hallucinations appeared in several of his books like Migraine, Awakenings and A leg to stand on. In Musicophilia Sacks approached the auditory hallucinations and in Hallucinations he considered them in depth. In the latter work, Sacks analyses especially those present in Charles Bonnet syndrome, in situations of sensory deprivation, in patients with epilesy, those present during treatment with levodopa and those caused by drug of abuse. Conclusions: Hallucinations is one of Sacks’s books with greater neuroophthalmological content. The descriptions of the hallucinations of his patients or those experienced by himself, as well as the reflective analysis on the world of perception make this book one of the most fascinating works of Oliver Sacks

Los escotomas como metáfora en la obra de Oliver Sacks / The scotomas as a metaphor in the work of Oliver Sacks

Introducción. La utilización de metáforas médicas es frecuente en el discurso social y en los medios de comunicación. Sin embargo, su empleo por los propios médicos para definir conceptos distintos al significado original del término resulta poco habitual. Objetivo. Analizar el empleo del término "escotoma", en su sentido metafórico, en las obras del neurólogo y escritor Oliver Sacks. Desarrollo. Sacks usó escotoma metafóricamente en dos obras, en el libro autobiográfico A leg to stand on y en un ensayo, Scotoma: forgetting and neglect in science. En el primer caso, lo utilizó para describir la situación de pérdida sensorial de su extremidad inferior, que experimentó después de un accidente, lo que podría interpretarse como un «escotoma mental». En el segundo caso, Sacks analizó el proceso y las razones del olvido de las obras de algunos descubridores científicos precoces y comentó por qué había sucedido, una situación que denominó "escotoma histórico" o "social". Conclusiones. Sacks no utiliza el término «escotoma» de forma uniforme y, si bien en el caso de su accidente podría considerarse como una acepción menor, pero aceptada, es indudable su uso como metáfora médica para describir el olvido y la ignorancia de algunos descubrimientos científicos en determinadas situaciones históricas

Introduction. The use of medical metaphors is common in the social discourse and in the media. However, the use by physicians themselves to define different concepts to the original meaning of the medical word is rare. Aim. To analyze the term 'scotoma' in its metaphorical sense in the works of the neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks. Development. Sacks used scotoma metaphorically in two works, in the autobiographical book A leg to stand on and in an essay Scotoma: forgetting and neglect in science. In the first case, he used it to define the sensorial loss of his leg after an accident, which could be interpreted as a ‘mental scotoma'. In the second case, Sacks analyzed the process and the reasons of forgetting the works of some early scientific discoverers and discussed why this happened. In this case, Sacks made an analogy with the process suffered by scientific discoveries and the reasons why some of them are largely ignored, in a situation that he called 'historical' or 'social scotoma'. Conclusions. Sacks does not use the term 'scotoma' uniformly. When used to describe the sensorial loss of his leg, it might be considered that scotoma is there a second, although minor but accepted, meaning of the word. However, its use in the definition of historical neglect of early discoveries can be clearly defined as a medical metaphor in full sense

El Hospital Militar de la calle dels Tallers de Barcelona (1843-1942) / The Military Hospital in Tallers Street, Barcelona (1843-1942)

La historia de los hospitales militares de Barcelona empieza con la llegada del ejército francés y la ocupación de la ciudad durante la Guerra de la Independencia en 1808. Las necesidades de asistencia a los soldados franceses conllevan la ocupación de varios establecimientos eclesiásticos, como el convento de los Padres de San Vicente de Paúl ubicado en la calle dels Tallers, en febrero de 1809. Pese al fin de la guerra y la marcha del ejército francés, el edificio siguió como hospital hasta 1816, cuando los religiosos volvieron. En 1821 sus propietarios lo cedieron para usos sanitarios con motivo de una epidemia de fiebre amarilla. En 1832 empezó a funcionar como fábrica de tabacos hasta que en 1843 se decidió su utilización definitiva como hospital militar. Durante los cien años siguientes el centro atendió las necesidades del ejército en Barcelona y cesó sus actividades en 1942 con la entrada en pleno funcionamiento de un nuevo hospital militar construido unos años antes. La historia del Hospital Militar de Tallers fue también la de sus médicos y pacientes. Los primeros realizaron además una importante tarea científica que se reflejó en las publicaciones médicas de la época y en numerosas presentaciones académicas. Los segundos constituyeron un grupo de enfermos con necesidades específicas diferenciadas de los pacientes civiles. El conocimiento de la historia del hospital contribuye al conocimiento de la historia de la sanidad militar española en el período de cambio del paradigma médico que acaeció durante su centenaria existencia (AU)

The history of Barcelona's military hospitals starts with the arrival of the French army and the occupation of the city during the War of Independence in 1808. The necessity to care for the French soldiers entailed the occupation of various ecclesiastic establishments, such as the Convent of Saint Vincent of Paul in Tallers street, in February 1809. Despite the end of the war and the French army leaving, the building continued as a hospital until 1816, when the monks returned. In 1821 the owners ceded its use for sanitary purposes due to an outbreak of yellow fever. In 1832 it began to function as a tobacco factory until, in 1843, its definite use as a hospital was decided. During the following hundred years the hospital attended the needs of the army in Barcelona and ceased its activities in 1942 when a new military hospital, built a few years before, became fully functional. The history of the Military Hospital in Tallers was also that of its doctors and patients. The former also carried out important scientific work which is reflected in the medical publications of the era and numerous academic presentations. The latter composed a group of patients with specific needs different from those of the civilian population. Knowledge of the history of the hospital contributes to the history of Spanish military healthcare in a period of change within the medical model that took place during its centenary existence (AU)

An analysis of the Oraciones inaugurales of Antoni de Gimbernat

It was a tradition in the Spanish universities of the seventeenth century that the start of academic activities included a ceremony in which an outstanding teacher of the institution delivered an address, an oration. This lecture had the name of Oración Inaugural and its aim was to allow the professor to instruct the students in the importance of the profession they were studying. In some way, these lectures can be also used in order to understand better the personality of each professor. In the present review we have used this approach to know other facets of the personality of Antoni de Gimbernat from those of anatomist and surgeon. We have analyzed two Oraciones and a Disertación that he delivered at the Royal Colleges of Surgery of Barcelona and Madrid in 1768, 1773 and 1787. These lectures, especially the first two, are good examples of Gimbernat’s interest in training the best surgeons he could. Even when the activities of Gimbernat in founding new colleges of surgery and preparing syllabi and study curricula are well-known, the careful reading of the Oraciones allows us to know how surgeons should be in technical, intellectual and moral abilities. We believe that the aptitudes drawn by Gimbernat still maintain their full value (AU)

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Trends in Scientific Literature on Addiction to the Internet, Video Games, and Cell Phones from 2006 to 2010.

BACKGROUND: The goals of the present work were to retrieve the scientific articles published on addiction to the Internet, video games, and cell phones and to analyze the pattern of publications in this area (who is doing the research, when and where it is taking place, and in which journals it is being published), to determine the research being conducted as well as to document geographical trends in publication over time in three types of technological addictions: Internet, cell phones, and video games. METHODS: Articles indexed in PubMed and PsycINFO between 2006 and 2010 related to the pathological use of Internet, cell phones, and video games were retrieved. Search results were reviewed to eliminate articles that were not relevant or were duplicates. RESULTS: Three hundred and thirty valid articles were retrieved from PubMed and PsycINFO from 2006 to 2010. Results were compared with those of 1996-2005. The year with the highest number of articles published was 2008 (n = 96). The most productive countries, in terms of number of articles published, were China (n = 67), the United States (n = 56), the United Kingdom (n = 47), and Taiwan (n = 33). The most commonly used language was English (70.3%), followed by Chinese (15.4%). Articles were published in 153 different journals. The journal that published the most articles was Cyberpsychology and Behavior (n = 73), followed by Chinese Journal of Clinical Psychology (n = 27) and International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction (n = 16). Internet was the area most frequently studied, with an increasing interest in other areas such as online video games and cell phones. CONCLUSIONS: The number of publications on technological addictions reached a peak in 2008. The scientific contributions of China, Taiwan, and Korea are overrepresented compared to other scientific fields such as drug addiction. The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5(th) Edition could change the publication trends in the technological addiction area and underline the relevance of this upcoming disorder in dissatisfaction with life in general.

La utilización del Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX) en estudiantes de medicina Josep / No disponible

En los últimos años se recomienda el uso de instrumentos que evalúen la adquisición de habilidades clínicas en el contexto de la práctica clínica. Entre los instrumentos más recomendados se encuentra el Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX), desarrollado inicialmente para la evaluación de médicos residentes, y que ha demostrado una buena fiabilidad y validez. Aunque se ha utilizado en estudiantes de medicina, no se dispone de un análisis completo de la experiencia acumulada. Para la presente revisión se realizó en septiembre de 2014 la búsqueda de los artículos indizados en Medline, Embase, Biosis Previews y Current Contents. Se seleccionaron aquellos artículos que incluían los términos ‘mini clinical evaluation exercise’, ‘mini-CEX’ o ‘mcex’. Tras la eliminación de los duplicados se obtuvo un total de 168 artículos. Se revisaron los que se referían al uso del mini-CEX en estudiantes de medicina (n = 34) y se analizaron a fondo aquellos que contenían datos empíricos (n = 21). Los estudios llevados a cabo en estudiantes de medicina confirman que el miniCEX es un instrumento útil y factible para evaluar las habilidades clínicas de los estudiantes de medicina y que posee propiedades psicométricas adecuadas en términos de validez y fiabilidad. Asimismo, es bien aceptado por estudiantes y tutores y puede ser usado tanto con finalidades formativas como sumativas. La importancia de dar un feedback adecuado y la concordancia de las puntuaciones de los tutores son los puntos más críticos en la implementación del mini-CEX en estudiantes de grado

In recent years the use of work-based assessments has been increasingly recommended to evaluate clinical skills, as they allow for the evaluation of performance in the context of clinical practice. Among these tools, one of the most recommended is the Mini Clinical Evaluation Exercise (mini-CEX). This method was developed to be used in physicians-in-training and has good reliability and validity properties. Even when mini-CEX has also been used in medical students, a review of its value in undergraduates is lacking. This review is mainly based on a search of the articles indexed in Medline, Embase, Biosis Previews or Current Contents databases in September 2014. References were selected for articles which included the following terms: ‘mini clinical evaluation exercise’, ‘mini-CEX’ or ‘mcex’. Duplicates between databases were eliminated; as a result, a total of 168 articles were retrieved. Articles that dealt with the use of mini-CEX in medical students were reviewed (n = 34) and those that included empirical data were further analysed (n = 21). These studies confirm that this tool is useful and feasible to assess medical students and has adequate psychometric properties in different domains of validity and reliability. It is also well-accepted by students and tutors and may be used both in formative and summative evaluations. The present review shows that mini-CEX is also a good tool to assess clinical skills of medical students. The importance of giving adequate feedback and the alignment in the scores of tutors are the most critical points to be considered in the implementation of mini-CEX in undergraduate students

Utilidad de los textos literarios en la docencia de ciencias de la salud: ejemplos en cardiología / Usefulness of literary texts in the teaching of health sciences: examples in cardiology

La importancia de las humanidades en la educación médica es un hecho generalmente aceptado y se ha sugerido su introducción en los planes de estudio de cursos como los basados en literatura y medicina. A pesar de su viabilidad, existen dificultades en incluir asignaturas específicas en currículos ya apretados. Se ha planteado la posibilidad de utilizar textos literarios como elementos docentes en las asignaturas tradicionales. Sin embargo, existen pocas publicaciones que analicen la utilidad potencial de algunos de ellos. En el presente artículo se presentan tres obras que podrían emplearse para ilustrar la experiencia de la enfermedad en el caso de las cardiopatías. Se escogieron dos textos autobiográficos, Un infart de miocardi, de Josep Pla, y Monte Sinaí, de José Luis Sampedro, y uno de ficción, Mémoires d’Hadrien, de Marguerite Yourcenar. Se revisaron para constatar que podían contribuir a comprender la vivencia de la enfermedad por los pacientes y alcanzar los objetivos educativos establecidos. Se presentan los fragmentos escogidos para ilustrar las repercusiones de la enfermedad y se debate la utilidad para la comprensión de los aspectos emocionales de la enfermedad y de la relación médico-paciente

The importance of humanities in the medical training is commonly recognized and it has been suggested that its implementation in the medical curricula as literature and medicine courses. In spite of its viability, there is often difficult to include specific subjects in the already crowded medical curricula. Therefore, it has been suggested the use of literary texts as a teaching tool in traditional subjects. However, there are few publications that analyse the potential usefulness of them. In the present paper three literary works that might be used to illustrate the experience of disease in cardiology are discussed. Two autobiographical texts, Un infart de miocardi of Josep Pla and Monte Sinaí of José Luis Sampedro, and a fiction work, Mémoires d’Hadrien of Marguerite Yourcenar, were chosen. They were reviewed to establish their usefulness to understand the patient’s experience of disease and to reach educative objectives. The paper shows the chosen fragments to illustrate the disease consequences and its usefulness to understand emotional aspects of sickness and the patient-physician relationship is discussed

[Oliver Sacks and literary neurology]. / Oliver Sacks y la neurología literaria.

INTRODUCTION: Popular medical literature attempts to discuss medical topics using a language that is, as far as possible, free of all medical jargon so as to make it more easily understandable by the general public. The very complexity of neurology makes it more difficult for the stories dealing with this specialty to be understood easily by an audience without any kind of medical training. AIMS: This paper reviews the works written by Oliver Sacks involving the field of neurology aimed at the general public, and the main characteristics and the clinical situation discussed by the author are presented. DEVELOPMENT: Some biographical notes about Oliver Sacks are also included and the 11 books published by this author over the last 40 years are also analysed. In each case they are put into a historical context and the most outstanding aspects justifying what makes them an interesting read are commented on. In most cases, the genesis of the work is explained together with its most significant features. CONCLUSIONS: The works of Sacks contain a wide range of very interesting clinical situations that are usually explained by means of a language that is readily comprehensible to the general public. It also provides neurologists with a holistic view of different clinical situations, together with a discussion of their biographical, historical and developmental components.

TITLE: Oliver Sacks y la neurologia literaria.Introduccion. La literatura medica de divulgacion intenta poner al alcance del publico general temas medicos en un lenguaje desprovisto, en lo posible, de jerga medica para hacerlo mas inteligible. En el ambito de la neurologia, su complejidad hace dificil que los relatos de esta especialidad sean faciles de comprender para el publico sin formacion medica. Objetivo. El presente articulo revisa la obra de Oliver Sacks en el ambito de la neurologia dirigida al publico general; se presentan las principales caracteristicas y las situaciones clinicas que describe. Desarrollo. Se incluyen unas notas biograficas sobre Oliver Sacks y se analizan los 11 libros publicados a lo largo de los ultimos 40 años. Para cada uno de ellos, se realiza una contextualizacion historica y se comentan los aspectos mas destacados que justifican el interes de su lectura. En la mayoria de los casos, se explica la genesis de la obra, asi como sus caracteristicas mas relevantes. Conclusiones. La obra de Sacks contiene un amplio abanico de situaciones clinicas de gran interes que se explican, generalmente, con un lenguaje accesible para el publico general. A los neurologos les permite, ademas, una vision holistica de diversas situaciones clinicas con una discusion de sus componentes biograficos, historicos y evolutivos.

Oliver Sacks y la neurología literaria / Oliver Sacks and literary neurology

Introducción. La literatura médica de divulgación intenta poner al alcance del público general temas médicos en un lenguaje desprovisto, en lo posible, de jerga médica para hacerlo más inteligible. En el ámbito de la neurología, su complejidad hace difícil que los relatos de esta especialidad sean fáciles de comprender para el público sin formación médica.Objetivo. El presente artículo revisa la obra de Oliver Sacks en el ámbito de la neurología dirigida al público general; se presentan las principales características y las situaciones clínicas que describe. Desarrollo. Se incluyen unas notas biográficas sobre Oliver Sacks y se analizan los 11 libros publicados a lo largo de los últimos 40 años. Para cada uno de ellos, se realiza una contextualización histórica y se comentan los aspectos más destacados que justifican el interés de su lectura. En la mayoría de los casos, se explica la génesis de la obra, así como sus características más relevantes. Conclusiones. La obra de Sacks contiene un amplio abanico d situaciones clínicas de gran interés que se explican, generalmente, con un lenguaje accesible para el público general. A los neurólogos les permite, además, una visión holística de diversas situaciones clínicas con una discusión de sus componentes biográficos, históricos y evolutivos (AU)

Introduction. Popular medical literature attempts to discuss medical topics using a language that is, as far as possible, free of all medical jargon so as to make it more easily understandable by the general public. The very complexity of neurology makes it more difficult for the stories dealing with this specialty to be understood easily by an audience without any kind of medical training. Aims. This paper reviews the works written by Oliver Sacks involving the field of neurology aimed at the general public, and the main characteristics and the clinical situation discussed by the author are presented. Development. Some biographical notes about Oliver Sacks are also included and the 11 books published by this author over the last 40 years are also analysed. In each case they are put into a historical context and the most outstanding aspects justifying what makes them an interesting read are commented on. In most cases, the genesis of the work is explained together with its most significant features. Conclusi ns. The works of Sacks contain a wide range of very interesting clinical situations that are usually explained by means of a language that is readily comprehensible to the general public. It also provides neurologists with a holistic view of different clinical situations, together with a discussion of their biographical, historical and developmental components (AU)