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. 2020 Dec;14(4):419-421.
doi: 10.1590/1980-57642020dn14-040013.

Phineas Gage's great legacy

Ricardo Vieira Teles  1
Affiliations

Phineas Gage's great legacy

Ricardo Vieira Teles. Dement Neuropsychol. 2020 Dec.

Abstract
in English, Portuguese

The case of Phineas Gage is an integral part of medical folklore. His accident still causes astonishment and curiosity and can be considered as the case that most influenced and contributed to the nineteenth century's neuropsychiatric discussion on the mind-brain relationship and brain topography. It was perhaps the first case to suggest the role of brain areas in determining personality and which specific parts of the brain, when affected, can induce specific mental changes. In addition, his case contributed to the emergence of the scientific approaches that would later culminate in psychosurgery. Gage is a fixed element in the studies of neurology, psychology, and neuroscience, having been solidified as one of the greatest medical curiosities of all time, deserving its prominence.

O caso de Phineas Gage é parte integrante do folclore médico. Seu acidente ainda causa espanto e curiosidade, e pode ser considerado como o caso que mais influenciou e contribuiu para a discussão neuropsiquiátrica do século XIX sobre a relação mente-cérebro e topografia cerebral. Foi talvez o primeiro caso a sugerir o papel de áreas cerebrais na determinação da personalidade e que partes específicas do cérebro, quando afetadas, podem induzir mudanças mentais específicas. Além disso, seu caso contribuiu para o surgimento de abordagens cientificas que culminariam posteriormente na psicocirurgia. Gage é um elemento fixo nos estudos de neurologia, psicologia e neurociências, tendo sido solidificado como uma das grandes curiosidades médicas de todos os tempos que merece seu destaque.

Keywords: Phineas Gage; behavioral symptoms; history.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Gage holding the iron bar that injured him.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Gage's exhumed skull and the iron bar, 1870.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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