Article Written by: Zainab Anwar
Cover Design by: Kirthana Karunanithi
In the early eighteenth century, English physiologist Stephen Hales and Scottish physiologist Robert Whytt began researching nerve function in animals. By the late nineteenth century, scientists gained knowledge about the causes of various disorders such as aphasia and epilepsy. At this time, French neurologist Jean-martin Charcot and English neurologist Wiliam Gowers worked on describing and classifying neurological diseases. It wasn’t until the 1900s, however, that scientists were able to deeply research the brain and its mysteries.
In the 1920s, Hans Berger invented the electroencephalogram (or EEG). This device, which is still in use today, provided an easy way to record electrical brain activity. Neurons (nerve cells) of the brain generate electrical pulses in a rhythmic pattern, the EEG could detect these pulses and thus greatly changed the world of neurology. Furthermore, the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid and the development of cerebral angiography both enabled neurologists to better understand neurological disorders and diseases, hence allowing them to provide more detailed information to their patients.
Throughout the 1900s, similar inventions furthered the research of the brain. The late 1900s marked a period in time where rapid discoveries and understandings changed the stigma around the brain and brought the possibilities of “cures” into the picture. Major neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's, which was first discovered in the early twentieth century, gained true awareness in the 1970s. In the case of Alzheimer’s, beta-amyloid, a protein and one of the prime causes of the disease, was discovered in 1984.
Neurological research continues to be one of the fastest-growing fields of science today. Hope and progress are what push for new discoveries every day.
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