Brown-Séquard: On neural networks and brain localization of functions

Engelhardt, Eliasz

doi:10.1590/S1980-57642014DN81000012

ABSTRACT

The notion that the brain (encephalon) is a network of interconnected neurons has a long and memorable history. Cytoarchitectonic and hodological studies coupled with advanced neuroimaging techniques have produced a substantial body of knowledge on structural and functional organization. Acquiring the rich knowledge held today took a long and winding journey. Important advancements were made in the 19^th century, with the remarkable Brown-Séquard figuring as one of the protagonists. Regarding the brain, he proposed nine mental and physical functions (organs) related to distributed cell clusters, interconnected according to their roles, the "network of anastomosing cells", dynamically submitted to "dynamogenic and inhibitory activities", and "action at a distance" concepts, the latter also related to his notion of "recovery". It is remarkable that someone was able to propose, ahead of his time, and with the limited technical resources available, such significant concepts that paved the way for the current state of knowledge.

Key words:
neural networks; network of anastomosing cells; dynamogenesis; excitatory activity; inhibitory activity; action at a distance; recovery

RESUMO

A noção que o cérebro (encéfalo) é uma rede de neurônios interconectados possui uma história longa e memorável. Estudos citoarquitetônicos e hodológicos acoplados a técnicas avançadas de neuroimagem produziram uma quantidade expressiva de material sobre sua organização estrutural e funcional. Chegar ao rico conhecimento atual requereu percorrer um longo e penoso caminho. Passos importantes começaram no século 19, tendo o notável Brown-Séquard como um dos protagonistas. Considerando o cérebro ele propôs nove funções (órgãos) mentais e físicos relacionados a conglomerados celulares distribuídos, interconectados de acordo com suas ações, a "rede de células anastomosadas", submetida dinamicamente aos conceitos da "atividades dinamogênicas e inibidoras" e "ação à distância", este também relacionado à sua noção de "recuperação". É incrível uma pessoa ter sido capaz de propor, adiante do seu tempo, com os limitados recursos técnicos disponíveis, conceitos tão significantes que prepararam o caminho para o conhecimento atual.

Palavras-chave:
redes neurais; rede de células anastomosadas; dinamogênese; atividade excitadora; atividade inibidora; ação à distância; recuperação

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REFERENCES

¹
Cicchetti D, Curtis WJ. The Developing Brain and Neural Plasticity: Implications for Normality, Psychopathology, and Resilience. In: Developmental Psychopathology, 2nd ed, Vol 2: Developmental Neuroscience. Cicchetti D, Curtis WJ, eds. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons; 2006:1-64.
²
Sporns O. Structure and function of complex brain networks. Dialogues Clin Neurosci 2013;15:247-262.
³
Mitner M. Functional Integration of Large-Scale Brain Networks. J Neurosci 2013;33:18710-18711.
⁴
van den Heuvel MP, Sporns O. An anatomical substrate for integration among functional networks in human cortex. J Neurosci 2013; 33:14489-14500.
⁵
AIM25. Brown-Séquard, Charles Édouard (1817-1894) and Family. 2013 [Retrieved from: http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=7156&inst_id=8].
» http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=7156&inst_id=8
⁶
Aminoff MJ. Brown-Séquard: selected contributions of a nineteenth-century neuroscientist. Neuroscientist 2000;6:60-65.
⁷
Bowditch HP. Memoir Charles Édouard Brown-Séquard. 1817-1894. Read before the National Academy of Sciences, 1897:93-97. Retrieved from: http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/brown-sequard-charles-e.pdf]
» http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/brown-sequard-charles-e.pdf
⁸
Laporte Y. Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard. An eventful life and a significant contribution to the study of the nervous system. CR Soc Biol 2006;329:363-368.
⁹
Engelhardt E, Gomes MM. Brown-Séquard, um pesquisador itinerante - De uma pequena ilha do Oceano Índico para o mundo [Brown-Séquard, a wandering researcher - From a small island of the Indian Ocean to the world]. Rev Bras Neurol 2013;49:111-114.
¹⁰
Engelhardt E, Gomes MM. Brown-Séquard, a restless mind. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2014;72:78-80.
¹¹
Celestin L-C. Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard. The Biography of a Tormented Genius London: Springer, 2014.
¹²
LBM. Libraire de l'Académie de Médicine. Brown-Séquard CE. Notice sur les travaux scientifiques du Docteur CE Brown-Séquard. Paris:Masson, 1886.[(Retrieved from: http://web2.bium.univ-paris5.fr/livanc/?cote=110133x131x01&do=chapitre].
¹³
Koehler PJ. Brown-Séquard and cerebral localization as illustrated by his ideas on aphasia. J Hist Neurosci 1996;5:26-33.
¹⁴
York GK. Brown-Séquard's theory of recovery. J Hist Neurosci 1996; 5:34-42.
¹⁵
Brown-Séquard CE. Sur les localisations des fonctions cérebrales. C R Soc Biol (Paris) 1875;1:399-407.
¹⁶
Bonduelle M. Charles-Éduard Brown-Séquard - Ile Maurice, 1817 - Paris, 1894. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2001;157:234-238.
¹⁷
Brown-Séquard CE. On localisation of functions in the brain. Boston Med Surg J 1875; 93:119-124. [Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/bostonmedicalan00warrgoog].
» https://archive.org/details/bostonmedicalan00warrgoog
¹⁸
Brown-Séquard CE. Cerebral localisation of functions. Forum 1888;5: 166-177.
¹⁹
Brown-Séquard CE. Nombreus cas de vivisection pratiquée sur le cerveau de l'homme. Leur verdict contre la doctrine des centres psycho-moteurs. Arch Phsyiol 1890;2:762-773. [Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi21unkngoog].
» https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi21unkngoog
²⁰
Brown-Séquard CE. Recherches expérimentales et cliniques sur l'inhibition et la dynamogenie. Application des connaissances fournies par ces recherché aux phénomènes principaux de l'hypnotisme, de l'extase e du transfer. Gazzete Hebdom Méd Chir 1882;19(3-9):5-36, 53-55, 75-77, 105-107, 136-138.[Retrieved from: http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/histmed/medica/cote?90166x1882x19].
» http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/histmed/medica/cote?90166x1882x19
²¹
Brown-Séquard CE. Lectures Diagnosis and Treatment of the Principal Forms of Paralysis of the Lower Extremities. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1861. [Retrieved from: http://archive.org/details/lecturesondiagnop00brow].
» http://archive.org/details/lecturesondiagnop00brow
²²
Brown-Séquard CE. Introduction a une Série de Mémoires sur la Physiologie et la Pathologie de Diverses Parties de l'Éncephale. Arch Physiol Normal Pathol 1877;4:409-423. [Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi28unkngoog].
» https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi28unkngoog
²³
Finger S, Koehler PJ, Jagella C. The Monakow Concept of Diaschisis. : Origins and Perspectives. Arch Neurol 2004;61:283-288.
²⁴
Engelhardt E, Gomes MM. Shock, diaschisis and von Monakow. Arq. Neuropsiquiatr 2013;71: 487-489.
²⁵
York III GK, Steinberg DA. Hughlings Jackson's neurological ideas. Brain 2011;134:3106-3113.
²⁶
van den Heuvel MP, Mandl RC, Kahn RS, Hulshoff Pol HE. Functionally linked resting-state networks reflect the underlying structural connectivity architecture of the human brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2009;30:3127-3141.
²⁷
van den Heuvel MP, Hulshoff Pol HE. Exploring the brain network: a review on resting-state fMRI functional connectivity. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2010;20:519-534.

Publication Dates

Publication in this collection
Jan-Mar 2014

History

Received
20 Nov 2013
Accepted
06 Feb 2014

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

[1] ¹
Cicchetti D, Curtis WJ. The Developing Brain and Neural Plasticity: Implications for Normality, Psychopathology, and Resilience. In: Developmental Psychopathology, 2nd ed, Vol 2: Developmental Neuroscience. Cicchetti D, Curtis WJ, eds. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons; 2006:1-64.

[2] ²
Sporns O. Structure and function of complex brain networks. Dialogues Clin Neurosci 2013;15:247-262.

[3] ³
Mitner M. Functional Integration of Large-Scale Brain Networks. J Neurosci 2013;33:18710-18711.

[4] ⁴
van den Heuvel MP, Sporns O. An anatomical substrate for integration among functional networks in human cortex. J Neurosci 2013; 33:14489-14500.

[5] ⁵
AIM25. Brown-Séquard, Charles Édouard (1817-1894) and Family. 2013 [Retrieved from: http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=7156&inst_id=8].
» http://www.aim25.ac.uk/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=7156&inst_id=8

[6] ⁶
Aminoff MJ. Brown-Séquard: selected contributions of a nineteenth-century neuroscientist. Neuroscientist 2000;6:60-65.

[7] ⁷
Bowditch HP. Memoir Charles Édouard Brown-Séquard. 1817-1894. Read before the National Academy of Sciences, 1897:93-97. Retrieved from: http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/brown-sequard-charles-e.pdf]
» http://www.nasonline.org/publications/biographical-memoirs/memoir-pdfs/brown-sequard-charles-e.pdf

[8] ⁸
Laporte Y. Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard. An eventful life and a significant contribution to the study of the nervous system. CR Soc Biol 2006;329:363-368.

[9] ⁹
Engelhardt E, Gomes MM. Brown-Séquard, um pesquisador itinerante - De uma pequena ilha do Oceano Índico para o mundo [Brown-Séquard, a wandering researcher - From a small island of the Indian Ocean to the world]. Rev Bras Neurol 2013;49:111-114.

[10] ¹⁰
Engelhardt E, Gomes MM. Brown-Séquard, a restless mind. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2014;72:78-80.

[11] ¹¹
Celestin L-C. Charles-Edouard Brown-Séquard. The Biography of a Tormented Genius London: Springer, 2014.

[12] ¹²
LBM. Libraire de l'Académie de Médicine. Brown-Séquard CE. Notice sur les travaux scientifiques du Docteur CE Brown-Séquard. Paris:Masson, 1886.[(Retrieved from: http://web2.bium.univ-paris5.fr/livanc/?cote=110133x131x01&do=chapitre].

[13] ¹³
Koehler PJ. Brown-Séquard and cerebral localization as illustrated by his ideas on aphasia. J Hist Neurosci 1996;5:26-33.

[14] ¹⁴
York GK. Brown-Séquard's theory of recovery. J Hist Neurosci 1996; 5:34-42.

[15] ¹⁵
Brown-Séquard CE. Sur les localisations des fonctions cérebrales. C R Soc Biol (Paris) 1875;1:399-407.

[16] ¹⁶
Bonduelle M. Charles-Éduard Brown-Séquard - Ile Maurice, 1817 - Paris, 1894. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2001;157:234-238.

[17] ¹⁷
Brown-Séquard CE. On localisation of functions in the brain. Boston Med Surg J 1875; 93:119-124. [Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/bostonmedicalan00warrgoog].
» https://archive.org/details/bostonmedicalan00warrgoog

[18] ¹⁸
Brown-Séquard CE. Cerebral localisation of functions. Forum 1888;5: 166-177.

[19] ¹⁹
Brown-Séquard CE. Nombreus cas de vivisection pratiquée sur le cerveau de l'homme. Leur verdict contre la doctrine des centres psycho-moteurs. Arch Phsyiol 1890;2:762-773. [Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi21unkngoog].
» https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi21unkngoog

[20] ²⁰
Brown-Séquard CE. Recherches expérimentales et cliniques sur l'inhibition et la dynamogenie. Application des connaissances fournies par ces recherché aux phénomènes principaux de l'hypnotisme, de l'extase e du transfer. Gazzete Hebdom Méd Chir 1882;19(3-9):5-36, 53-55, 75-77, 105-107, 136-138.[Retrieved from: http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/histmed/medica/cote?90166x1882x19].
» http://www.biusante.parisdescartes.fr/histmed/medica/cote?90166x1882x19

[21] ²¹
Brown-Séquard CE. Lectures Diagnosis and Treatment of the Principal Forms of Paralysis of the Lower Extremities. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co. 1861. [Retrieved from: http://archive.org/details/lecturesondiagnop00brow].
» http://archive.org/details/lecturesondiagnop00brow

[22] ²²
Brown-Séquard CE. Introduction a une Série de Mémoires sur la Physiologie et la Pathologie de Diverses Parties de l'Éncephale. Arch Physiol Normal Pathol 1877;4:409-423. [Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi28unkngoog].
» https://archive.org/details/archivesdephysi28unkngoog

[23] ²³
Finger S, Koehler PJ, Jagella C. The Monakow Concept of Diaschisis. : Origins and Perspectives. Arch Neurol 2004;61:283-288.

[24] ²⁴
Engelhardt E, Gomes MM. Shock, diaschisis and von Monakow. Arq. Neuropsiquiatr 2013;71: 487-489.

[25] ²⁵
York III GK, Steinberg DA. Hughlings Jackson's neurological ideas. Brain 2011;134:3106-3113.

[26] ²⁶
van den Heuvel MP, Mandl RC, Kahn RS, Hulshoff Pol HE. Functionally linked resting-state networks reflect the underlying structural connectivity architecture of the human brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2009;30:3127-3141.

[27] ²⁷
van den Heuvel MP, Hulshoff Pol HE. Exploring the brain network: a review on resting-state fMRI functional connectivity. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2010;20:519-534.

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