From encephalitis lethargica to cerebral cytoarchitectonics: the polymath talent of Constantin von Economo (1876-1931), pioneer neuroanatomist, neurophysiologist and military aviator

Abstract

Born in Romania of Greek parents and raised in Trieste, Constantin von Economo was educated and influenced by Vienna's medical and scientific tradition. Better known for his description of encephalitis lethargica, a disease bearing his name, he made several contributions to as varied themes as the cytoarchitecture of the cerebral cortex, sleep regulation, evolutionary brain development and, outside medicine, in aviation. While still a student he showed an aptitude for meticulous accuracy and a skill in combining animal experiments with microanatomical techniques. Nurtured in the formidable environment of Viennese histology he produced a monumental account of the cytoarchitecture of the human cerebral cortex. This, in an attempt to correlate structure and function, was unique in its quality of accuracy and paved the way for subsequent achievements two decades later. Despite an untimely death at 55 years, he remains one of the most talented pioneers of modern neuroscience.