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. 2014 Mar 16;58(6):277-83.

[Oliver Sacks and literary neurology]

[Article in Spanish]
Elena Guardiola, Josep E Banos  1
Affiliations
  • PMID: 24610695

[Oliver Sacks and literary neurology]

[Article in Spanish]
Elena Guardiola et al. Rev Neurol. .

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Introduction: Popular medical literature attempts to discuss medical topics using a language that is, as far as possible, free of all medical jargon so as to make it more easily understandable by the general public. The very complexity of neurology makes it more difficult for the stories dealing with this specialty to be understood easily by an audience without any kind of medical training.

Aims: This paper reviews the works written by Oliver Sacks involving the field of neurology aimed at the general public, and the main characteristics and the clinical situation discussed by the author are presented.

Development: Some biographical notes about Oliver Sacks are also included and the 11 books published by this author over the last 40 years are also analysed. In each case they are put into a historical context and the most outstanding aspects justifying what makes them an interesting read are commented on. In most cases, the genesis of the work is explained together with its most significant features.

Conclusions: The works of Sacks contain a wide range of very interesting clinical situations that are usually explained by means of a language that is readily comprehensible to the general public. It also provides neurologists with a holistic view of different clinical situations, together with a discussion of their biographical, historical and developmental components.

Title: Oliver Sacks y la neurologia literaria.

Introduccion. La literatura medica de divulgacion intenta poner al alcance del publico general temas medicos en un lenguaje desprovisto, en lo posible, de jerga medica para hacerlo mas inteligible. En el ambito de la neurologia, su complejidad hace dificil que los relatos de esta especialidad sean faciles de comprender para el publico sin formacion medica. Objetivo. El presente articulo revisa la obra de Oliver Sacks en el ambito de la neurologia dirigida al publico general; se presentan las principales caracteristicas y las situaciones clinicas que describe. Desarrollo. Se incluyen unas notas biograficas sobre Oliver Sacks y se analizan los 11 libros publicados a lo largo de los ultimos 40 años. Para cada uno de ellos, se realiza una contextualizacion historica y se comentan los aspectos mas destacados que justifican el interes de su lectura. En la mayoria de los casos, se explica la genesis de la obra, asi como sus caracteristicas mas relevantes. Conclusiones. La obra de Sacks contiene un amplio abanico de situaciones clinicas de gran interes que se explican, generalmente, con un lenguaje accesible para el publico general. A los neurologos les permite, ademas, una vision holistica de diversas situaciones clinicas con una discusion de sus componentes biograficos, historicos y evolutivos.

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