Collado-Vázquez Susana, Cano-de-la-Cuerda Roberto, Jiménez-Antona Carmen, Muñoz-Hellín Elena
Departamento de Fisioterapia, Terapia Ocupacional, Rehabilitación y Medicina Física, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Madrid, España.
Rev Neurol. 2012 Aug 1;55(3):167-76.
Literature has always been attracted to neurological pathologies and the numerous works published on the subject are proof of this. Likewise, a number of physicians have been fiction writers and have drawn on their scientific knowledge to help develop their stories.
The study addresses the appearance of neurological pathologies in a sample of literary works and examines the description of the disease, its treatment, the patient's view and the relationship between healthcare professionals and the socio-familial milieu.
We review some of the greatest literary works of all times that deal with neurological pathologies, such as Don Quixote, Julius Caesar, David Copperfield, The Idiot or Miau, and many of them are seen to offer a very faithful portrayal of the disease. Similarly, we have also reviewed works that provide a personal account of life with neurological diseases and the ensuing disability written either by the patients themselves or by their relatives, examples being The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, My Left Foot or One Chance in a Thousand.
Literature has helped to offer a realistic vision of neurologically-based pathologies and the healthcare professionals who work with them; there are many examples that portray the experiences of the patients themselves and the importance of support from the family is a feature that is constantly underlined.
