Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personality

Background The role of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in determining personality traits and neurobehavioral symptoms, collectively known as the interictal behavioral syndrome (also known as Geschwind syndrome or “Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome”), as well as the syndrome's association with the particu...

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Main Authors: Panayiotis Patrikelis, Lambros Messinis, Vasiliki Folia, Grigorios Nasios, Athanasia Alexoudi, Anastasia Verentzioti, Stefanos Korfias, Vasileios Kimiskidis, Stylianos Gatzonis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Thieme Revinter Publicações 2023-04-01
Series:Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
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Online Access:http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0042-1758443
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author Panayiotis Patrikelis
Lambros Messinis
Vasiliki Folia
Grigorios Nasios
Athanasia Alexoudi
Anastasia Verentzioti
Stefanos Korfias
Vasileios Kimiskidis
Stylianos Gatzonis
author_facet Panayiotis Patrikelis
Lambros Messinis
Vasiliki Folia
Grigorios Nasios
Athanasia Alexoudi
Anastasia Verentzioti
Stefanos Korfias
Vasileios Kimiskidis
Stylianos Gatzonis
author_sort Panayiotis Patrikelis
collection DOAJ
description Background The role of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in determining personality traits and neurobehavioral symptoms, collectively known as the interictal behavioral syndrome (also known as Geschwind syndrome or “Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome”), as well as the syndrome's association with the particular artistic expression of many epileptic litterateurs are well known in neurology and psychiatry. A deepening of emotionality along with a serious, highly ethical, and spiritual behavior have been described as positive personality changes among patients with chronic mesial-TLE. Objectives Our narrative-based clinical hypothesis aims at contributing to the ongoing debate on the association between TLE and artistic expression, as well as the latter's supposed implication for epileptology in general and the neuropsychology of epilepsy in particular. Methods Through an analysis of the biography, language, and literary work of Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras, we hypothesize that his mystical and dark writing style could be attributed to medial temporal interictal dynamics. Conclusions We suggest that the psycholiterary profile of Voutyras is consistent with the idiosyncratic characteristics of the temporal lobe personality, while a non-dominant temporal lobe contribution has been proposed.
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spelling doaj-art-741a79f290e5489b948817a0c4bca5642025-08-20T03:19:08ZengThieme Revinter PublicaçõesArquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria0004-282X1678-42272023-04-01810438439110.1055/s-0042-1758443Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personalityPanayiotis Patrikelis0Lambros Messinis1Vasiliki Folia2Grigorios Nasios3Athanasia Alexoudi4Anastasia Verentzioti5Stefanos Korfias6Vasileios Kimiskidis7Stylianos Gatzonis8National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, First Department of Neurosurgery, Athens, Greece.Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Philosophy, School of Psychology, Thessaloniki, Greece.Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Philosophy, School of Psychology, Thessaloniki, Greece.University of Ioannina, School of Health Sciences, Department of Speech and Language Therapy, Ioannina, Greece.National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, First Department of Neurosurgery, Athens, Greece.National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, First Department of Neurosurgery, Athens, Greece.National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, First Department of Neurosurgery, Athens, Greece.Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, 1st Department of Neurology, Thessaloniki, Greece.National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, School of Medicine, Evangelismos Hospital, First Department of Neurosurgery, Athens, Greece.Background The role of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) in determining personality traits and neurobehavioral symptoms, collectively known as the interictal behavioral syndrome (also known as Geschwind syndrome or “Gastaut-Geschwind syndrome”), as well as the syndrome's association with the particular artistic expression of many epileptic litterateurs are well known in neurology and psychiatry. A deepening of emotionality along with a serious, highly ethical, and spiritual behavior have been described as positive personality changes among patients with chronic mesial-TLE. Objectives Our narrative-based clinical hypothesis aims at contributing to the ongoing debate on the association between TLE and artistic expression, as well as the latter's supposed implication for epileptology in general and the neuropsychology of epilepsy in particular. Methods Through an analysis of the biography, language, and literary work of Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras, we hypothesize that his mystical and dark writing style could be attributed to medial temporal interictal dynamics. Conclusions We suggest that the psycholiterary profile of Voutyras is consistent with the idiosyncratic characteristics of the temporal lobe personality, while a non-dominant temporal lobe contribution has been proposed.http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0042-1758443epilepsyseizuresmetaphormedicine in literatureresearch report
spellingShingle Panayiotis Patrikelis
Lambros Messinis
Vasiliki Folia
Grigorios Nasios
Athanasia Alexoudi
Anastasia Verentzioti
Stefanos Korfias
Vasileios Kimiskidis
Stylianos Gatzonis
Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personality
Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria
epilepsy
seizures
metaphor
medicine in literature
research report
title Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personality
title_full Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personality
title_fullStr Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personality
title_full_unstemmed Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personality
title_short Epilepsy and the “dark” literature of the Greek novelist Demosthenes Voutyras: an outstanding epileptic personality
title_sort epilepsy and the dark literature of the greek novelist demosthenes voutyras an outstanding epileptic personality
topic epilepsy
seizures
metaphor
medicine in literature
research report
url http://www.thieme-connect.de/DOI/DOI?10.1055/s-0042-1758443
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AT vasilikifolia epilepsyandthedarkliteratureofthegreeknovelistdemosthenesvoutyrasanoutstandingepilepticpersonality
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AT vasileioskimiskidis epilepsyandthedarkliteratureofthegreeknovelistdemosthenesvoutyrasanoutstandingepilepticpersonality
AT stylianosgatzonis epilepsyandthedarkliteratureofthegreeknovelistdemosthenesvoutyrasanoutstandingepilepticpersonality