A brainy tail of hope
Epilogue
When in
1875, Prof Dr Guislain was intensively trying to relate the mood disorders and
symptoms of psychosis that he witnessed in his in psychiatric patients to an
underlying brain dysfunction, his endeavors did not lead to spectacular
discoveries. The neuroanatomical tools and methods of that era were indeed to
coarse grained to enable the detection of the subtle neural network
connectivity dysfunctions and abnormal neurotransmitter patterns that modern
neuroscience and pharmacodynamics have revealed to be at the root of
psychiatric pathology. The fact however
that Guislain’ s research did not result in direct spectacular discoveries
should not detract from the huge merit he deserves as modern neuroscientific
achievements prove that his example did indeed “fork a lightening[1]”, to paraphrase Dylan Thomas. Modern neuroscience has certainly taken up Guislain’
s torch and moderns tools have been developed (medical imaging,
neurophysiologic EEG/MEG signal analysis, pharmacodynamics, and genetics of
neurodevelopment) that have allowed us to develop sophisticated models of
schizophrenia and mood disorders that open new ways to deeper understanding and
hence to more efficient cures. The merit of men is less related to their tools
then to the visionary drive that guides their efforts.
However, Guislain and Triest also promoted another neuroscientific
paradigm namely the importance of good care for better cure. The brain is a
complex adaptive system, able at auto repair and plasticity by synaptic changes
that can overcome many disorders and dysfunctions. As such they also stood as examples for
people as Ramachandran and Fabrizzio Benedetti as they lived by the basic “(Hippocratic)”
paradigm that loving care for patients leads to better cure and that therapists
and doctors, notwithstanding the ever-growing need for better, faster and safer
cures, should always beware of being reduced to short sighted brain
neuro-technicians however skilled their expert level might be.
Each and every patient has a unique brain and hence is a unique human
being with a life full of resources, many of them yet to be discovered in this “brainy”
universe.
With Guislain to guide your science and Triest
to guide your hart, to quote Dylan Thomas, “thou will have stars at the elbow
and foot[2]”
“There can be no knowledge without emotion.
We may be aware of a truth, yet until we have felt its force, it is not ours.
To the cognition of the brain must be added the experience of the soul”
Arnold
Bennett
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