Penfield's ceiling: Seeing brain injury through Galen's eyes.

TitlePenfield's ceiling: Seeing brain injury through Galen's eyes.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2017
AuthorsAdams, Zoe M., and Fins Joseph J.
JournalNeurology
Volume89
Issue8
Pagination854-858
Date Published2017 Aug 22
ISSN1526-632X
KeywordsArchitecture as Topic, Brain Injuries, Greece, History, 19th Century, History, 20th Century, History, Ancient, Humans, Neurology, Prognosis, Quebec
Abstract

The cathedral ceiling located in the entrance hall of the Montreal Neurological Institute, planned by its founder Wilder Penfield, has intrigued visitors since it was erected in 1934. Central to its charm is a cryptic comment by the ancient physician Galen of Pergamum, which refutes a dire Hippocratic aphorism about prognosis in brain injury. Galen's optimism, shared by Penfield, is curious from a fellow ancient. In this article, we use primary sources in Ancient Greek as well as secondary sources to not only examine the origins of Galen's epistemology but also, using a methodology in classics scholarship known as reception studies, illustrate how an awareness of this ancient debate can illuminate contemporary clinical contexts. While Galen based his prognostications on direct clinical observations like the Hippocratics, he also engaged in experimental and anatomic work in both animals and humans, which informed his views on neurologic states and outcomes. Penfield's memorialization of Galen is representative of the evolution of the neurosciences and the ongoing importance of evidence-based prognostication in severe brain injury.

DOI10.1212/WNL.0000000000004267
Alternate JournalNeurology
PubMed ID28827458

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