Re-examining Paul Broca’s initial presentation of M. Leborgne: understanding the impetus for brain and language research
Lorch, Marjorie (2011) Re-examining Paul Broca’s initial presentation of M. Leborgne: understanding the impetus for brain and language research. Cortex 47 (10), pp. 1228-1235. ISSN 0010-9452.
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Abstract
The 150th anniversary affords an opportunity to revisit the circumstances surrounding Paul Broca’s case report celebrated today as the moment of discovery of aphasia. The proceedings from January to June 1861 of the Paris Society of Anthropology are examined to reconstruct the events surrounding the report of M. Leborgne on April 18th. From a close reading of the presentations and discussions which took place during this period it is apparent that Broca’s case report was a minor diversion to a debate about cranial measurements and their relation to intelligence in individuals and racial groups. Moreover, it appears that little attention was granted to Broca’s first case at the time. While his ideas about localization and specialization developed and change over the next decade, it represented a minor field of interest for him. Nevertheless Broca’s work on aphasia inspired research throughout Europe and North America and went on to have a lasting impact on both aphasiology and neuropsychology.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Keyword(s) / Subject(s): | Broca’s aphasia, Broca’s area, localization, 19th century, history of neuroscience |
| School: | Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication |
| Depositing User: | Sarah Hall |
| Date Deposited: | 26 Oct 2012 08:48 |
| Last Modified: | 09 Aug 2023 12:31 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/5315 |
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