Filippo Lussana (1820-1897): from medical practitioner to neuroscience

Abstract

Filippo Lussana's scientific activities are neglected in neurological field. His activity could be divided into two phases: as a medical practitioner and the academic period, as a clinical neurophysiologist. The focus of his various research studies was the central nervous system, including balance disorders (the role of the cerebellum and semicircular canals), taste innervation, pain and speech disorders (theories of brain localisation). Lussana's clinical method and direct dealings with patients laid the groundwork for his subsequent academic activities as a neurophysiologist, in Parma and later in Padua. Influenced by phrenological theories, he also conducted interesting studies on synaesthesia for which he determined a brain site. He contributed to the neurophysiology of taste, emphasising the role of the facial nerve. With his study on muscle sense, he also joined the debate on the role of the cerebellum in balance, setting the foundation for later studies on this organ by Luigi Luciani.