Two-volume work from Üsküdar University shedding light on the history of neuroscience

The two-volume work titled 'NeuroHistory,' authored by Prof. Sultan Tarlacı, faculty member of Üsküdar University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurology, has met readers through Üsküdar University Publications. The work, addressing humanity's journey to understand the brain and mind from historical, scientific, and philosophical perspectives, offers a comprehensive perspective extending from ancient times to modern neuroscience.

Many historical developments are conveyed to the reader

The first volume of the “NeuroHistory” series is titled “In Pursuit of the Soul: The Story of the Brain from Antiquity to Enlightenment.” The work explores the historical journey of the brain from trepanation to Ancient Egypt, from Ancient Greek thought to the Middle Ages, and from the Islamic world to the Renaissance.

First attempts to understand brain functions…

The book presents humanity's first attempts to understand brain functions, while also featuring the thoughts and works of historical figures such as Hippocrates, Plato, Aristotle, Galen, Leonardo da Vinci, and Vesalius. Many historical developments, from trepanation practices considered the first brain surgeries to dissection studies conducted in Alexandria, are presented to the reader.

The back cover text of the work draws attention to the fact that the brain is not merely a biological organ, emphasizing the following question:

“How did this 1.3-kilogram organ inside the skull manage to transform into a being that questions the universe, falls in love, formulates mathematical theorems, and is aware of its own existence?”

From the emergence of modern neuroscience to quantum neuroscience…

The second volume of the series was published under the title 'From Animal Electricity to Quantum: The Emergence and Future of Modern Neuroscience.' With a broad scope ranging from the beginnings of electrophysiology to neuron theory, from brain mapping studies to the discovery of neurotransmitters, and to quantum neuroscience, the work examines in detail the developmental process of modern neuroscience.

The book covers milestones in the history of neuroscience such as the contributions of Camillo Golgi and Santiago Ramón y Cajal to neuron theory, Paul Broca and Carl Wernicke’s discoveries concerning language centers, the Phineas Gage case, the Hodgkin-Huxley model, Otto Loewi’s chemical transmission experiments, and Wilder Penfield’s brain mapping studies.

The back cover text of the work also draws attention to the fundamental questions at the heart of scientific developments:

“If the brain is a machine, if thoughts are merely the firing of nerve cells, then what is that ineffable feeling we experience while listening to music, or that profound admiration we feel when faced with a landscape?”

Also sheds light on the relationships among science, philosophy, psychology, and theology

“NeuroHistory” not only narrates the history of neuroscience but also sheds light on the relationships among science, philosophy, psychology, and theology. The two-volume work comprehensively addresses the historical journey towards understanding the human mind and consciousness, bringing to readers the transformation neuroscience has undergone from past to present.