| Popis: |
Chapter 14 discusses the study of a hypothesis representative of the numerous attempts of psychiatry to understand brain dysfunctions. Elaborated during the first half of the twentieth century, the “diencephalic hypothesis” illustrates the quest for scientific legitimacy of psychiatry before the “discovery” of psychoactive drugs. The first aim is to show how physiology, endocrinology, neurology, and neurosurgery have influenced psychiatrists in their consideration of the mind–brain interaction, in their clinical practice and experimental researches. The second aim is to shed light on the theoretical continuity between the period preceding the “revolution” of psychoactive drugs and the one that follows it, a continuity that contrasts with the idea of a sudden transition conveyed by the more classical works. Finally, this approach raises the current stakes surrounding the birth of the psychiatric neurosciences, by inscribing them in a history based on questionings prior to the development of the neurosciences. |
