CASE REPORT Print ISSN 1738-6586 / On-line ISSN 2005-5013 J Clin Neurol 2011;7:96-98 10.3988/jcn.2011.7.2.96 Anton’s Syndrome and Eugenics Daniel Kondziella, Siska Frahm-Falkenberg Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark Received May 22, 2010 Anton’s syndrome is arguably the most striking form of anosognosia. Patients with this syndrome Revised December 23, 2010 behave as if they can see despite their obvious blindness. Although best known for his description Accepted December 23, 2010 of asomatognosia and visual anosognosia, Gabriel Anton (1858-1933) made other significant con- tributions to the clinical neurosciences, including pioneering work in neurosurgery, neuropsy- Correspondence chology, and child psychiatry. However, it has not been recognized in the English literature that Daniel Kondziella, MD, DMSc, Department of Neurology, Anton was also a dedicated advocate of eugenics and racial hygiene. This paper provides a case of Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Anton’s syndrome and puts the works of Gabriel Anton into their historic context. Copenhagen, Denmark J Clin Neurol 2011;7:96-98 Tel +45-35452082 Key Wordszzanosognosia, cerebral infarction, disconnection syndrome, endocarditis, Fax +45-35452626 euthanasia, Nazi, racial hygiene. E-mail
[email protected] Introduction his environment that apparently did not exist. Anton’s syndrome is the most striking form of anosognosia. Physician: How are you? Patients with this syndrome behave as if they can see despite Patient: Fine. their obvious lack of sight;1 confabulation is frequent. Corti- Physician: Anything wrong with you? cal blindness is due to bilateral damage of the occipital lobes Patient: No.