A Brief History Of Neuroscience

The history of neuroscience began many, many years ago. Thus, it was in the fifth century BC that Alcmaeon of Croton discovered the optic nerve while dissecting an animal. His findings led him to theorize that thoughts and feelings reside in the brain.

In response to this rather modern theory, Aristotle clung to the ancient argument that human intellectual processes take place in the heart. Aristotle (and many of his contemporaries) believed that the brain was responsible for cooling the blood overheated by the heart.

Later, Hippocrates developed the humoral theory. He proposed that illness and human physical health were based on the balance of four bodily fluids. According to Hippocrates, an imbalance in the proportions of these fluids would lead to illness or personality changes.

The Greek physician and philosopher Galen disagreed with the humoral theory. He claimed that the brain was responsible for processing feelings and memories.

Between 1630 and 1650 René Descartes developed the mechanistic theory. He also wrote about the duality of body and soul, which would make the brain responsible for behavior. Not only that, but he also believed that the pineal gland was the communication link between these two dimensions.

His ideas put him at the forefront of the mind-brain debate that continues to plague neuroscientists to this day.

The History of Neuroscience in the Nineteenth Century

locationalism

In 1808 Gall published an article on phrenology. He argued that there is a specific area in the brain for each mental process.

This theory of locationalism allowed researchers to search for mental processes even closer to the brain. Over the course of the research, Brodmann described 52 areas in the brain and their associated mental processes.

Scientists also believed that the development of certain skills and abilities was related to an increase in the size of the corresponding brain region.

That was the beginning of the concept of the brain as a dynamic organ that could adapt its physical structure to the environmental requirements while still saving enough space for the most important skills.

All these theories led scientists to  believe that they could recognize people’s intellectual and moral abilities by the size and shape of their skulls. It seems obvious that these scientists did not yet have the neuroimaging technology that we have today.

Connectivism

In 1861, Pierre Paul Broca lectured at the Society of Anthropology in Paris about a patient who had suffered a head injury. The patient lost the ability to speak, but was still able to understand what people were saying.

For the scientific community, this was the first evidence they had of the relationship between the brain and language. That particular part of the brain was later called Broca’s area.

In 1874 Carl Wernicke made a similar discovery. He had patients who could talk, but did not understand what they were saying. This led to a new perspective called connectivism .

This theory claimed that only the most basic functions are limited to certain areas of the brain. The more complex functions, on the other hand, are the result of the interaction between different areas.

In 1885 Hermann Ebbinghaus wrote the first publications on memory. In his essays, he described evaluation methods that scientists still use. Soon after, researchers coined the term “neuron” thanks to the work of Santiago Ramón de Cajal in 1891.

The History of Neuroscience in the Twentieth Century

At the beginning of the twentieth century, the development of neuroscience was strongly influenced by the First and Second World Wars. During the First World War, not only did many people die, but many were injured as well.

As a result, thousands of patients had suffered neurological damage, exponentially increasing the need for neurological rehabilitation. This also increased the urge for more research into the brain and neurological problems.

During World War II, neuroscience became a true discipline. Important neuroscientists such as Aleksandr Romanovich Luria also developed important neuropsychological interventions during this period.

In 1962, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) launched the Neuroscience Research Program. The aim of this program was to connect behavioral and neurological scientists from universities around the world.

They held weekly meetings, conferences, and debates that shed light on various university education programs.

The Society for Neuroscience

From that collaboration sprang the Society for Neuroscience, which was founded in Washington in 1969. This is still the largest neuroscience society in the world, with some 37,000 members.

It is a global benchmark for advances in neuroscience and holds an annual meeting that regularly attracts more than 30,000 visitors.

Thanks to the efforts of these organizations and the successful interdisciplinary collaboration that took place, in 1990 the National Advisory Neurological Disorders and Stroke Council published a report entitled Decade of the Brain: Answers Through Scientific Research

This report identified fourteen categories of neurological disorders that had not yet been sufficiently researched, leading to a major increase in neuroscientific research.

The Future History of Neuroscience in the Twenty-First Century

In 2002, researchers launched the Blue Brain project, hoping to create a molecular-level simulation of a mammalian brain to study its structure. Many countries from all over the world signed up for this exciting project.

Then in 2013, Barack Obama announced the start of a project called BRAIN. This proposal is on the same level as the Human Genome Project. The aim is to develop a detailed and dynamic picture of the human brain. The US initially invested $110 million USD in the initiative.

This is the great new challenge for the US and the tool with which they hope to lead future brain research. However, in this particular area, Europe has a slight advantage over the US. At the same time that Obama announced the BRAIN project, Europe was carrying out an initiative called HUMAN BRAIN.

They plan to invest more than a billion euros in the project. The goal is to make significant progress in our understanding of the human brain over the next decade.

In short, the history of neuroscience is fascinating. Scientists have made incredible strides over the years, making our understanding of the human brain greater than ever before.

However, the increased interest and investment in research on the human brain also means that many amazing discoveries are still to come.