Constantin von Economo

Constantin von Economo (August 21, 1876 – October 21, 1931) was an Austrian neurologist and psychiatrist who is best known for his discovery of encephalitis lethargica (sleeping sickness), a disease that swept the world from 1916 to 1927. He was a pioneer in the field of neuroscience and made significant contributions to the understanding of brain structure and function.

Early Life and Education

Constantin von Economo was born in Brăila, Romania to a wealthy Greek family. He moved to Vienna, Austria at a young age, where he pursued his education. Von Economo received his medical degree from the University of Vienna in 1901. Following his graduation, he traveled extensively, studying under several prominent neurologists and psychiatrists in Europe.

Career and Research

Upon returning to Vienna, von Economo began working at the Clinic for Psychiatry and Nervous Diseases at the University of Vienna, where he would spend the majority of his career. It was here, in 1917, during the height of the First World War, that he first identified and described encephalitis lethargica, a novel form of encephalitis that caused high fever, severe neurological symptoms, including profound sleepiness or coma, and in many cases, death.

Von Economo's work extended beyond encephalitis lethargica. He was deeply interested in the anatomy and function of the brain. He made significant contributions to the understanding of the cerebral cortex and was one of the first to propose that different areas of the cortex were responsible for different functions, a concept that is widely accepted today. His work on the cytoarchitecture of the brain laid the groundwork for future research in neuroanatomy and neurophysiology.

One of his most notable contributions to neuroscience was the identification of the insula and the cingulate cortex as important regions for integrating sensory information and controlling emotional responses. He also studied the thalamus and its role in relaying sensory information to the cortex.

Legacy

Constantin von Economo's contributions to neuroscience were not fully appreciated during his lifetime, but his work has had a lasting impact on the field. The von Economo neurons, large spindle-shaped neurons found in the insula and anterior cingulate cortex, are named after him. These neurons are thought to be involved in social cognition and decision-making processes.

Von Economo died in 1931 from heart failure, but his legacy lives on through his contributions to medical science. He was a pioneer in linking brain structure to function, and his work paved the way for future discoveries in neuroscience.

Selected Works

• Die Encephalitis lethargica (1917)
• The Cytoarchitectonics of the Human Cerebral Cortex (1925)
• The Anatomy of the Brain, a Textbook for Medical Students (1929)

See Also

• Neurology
• Psychiatry
• Encephalitis
• Brain Anatomy