Oliver Sacks y la neurología literaria

Abstract

Popular medical literature attempts to discuss medical topics using a language that is, as far as possible, free of all medical jargon so as to make it more easily understandable by the general public. The very complexity of neurology makes it more difficult for the stories dealing with this specialty to be understood easily by an audience without any kind of medical training. This paper reviews the works written by Oliver Sacks involving the field of neurology aimed at the general public, and the main characteristics and the clinical situation discussed by the author are presented. Some biographical notes about Oliver Sacks are also included and the 11 books published by this author over the last 40 years are also analysed. In each case they are put into a historical context and the most outstanding aspects justifying what makes them an interesting read are commented on. In most cases, the genesis of the work is explained together with its most significant features. The works of Sacks contain a wide range of very interesting clinical situations that are usually explained by means of a language that is readily comprehensible to the general public. It also provides neurologists with a holistic view of different clinical situations, together with a discussion of their biographical, historical and developmental components.