History of AphasiaFreud as an aphasiologist

Abstract

Between 1891 and 1901, Sigmund Freud published both psychoanalytic and neurological works. This review analyses the interactions between Freud's On the interpretation of the aphasias (1891) and the development of psychoanalytic concepts, as well as Freud's theoretical views on brain–mind interrelations and his neurolinguistic theory. It is pointed out that in his aphasia book, Freud developed elements of a neurobiological theory of cognition and behaviour that became important for the theoretical foundation of psychoanalysis. Although Jackson, whom Freud regarded highly, had understood that people communicate by propositions, Freud followed Wernicke in that the word and the word concept were the basis of language. This assumption guided the interpretation of associations in psychoanalysis. For aphasiology, Freud is one proponent among others who criticised mechanistic localisationist theories. His major obstacle was the lack of linguistic theories. Freud's influence on aphasiology was rather limited, mainly because his book was hardly read, to his dismay.