A Glance at the Notable Life of Babinski

Jensen Ch. A* Hospital Comarcal of Mora d’Ebre, Spain Submission: March 06, 2017; Published: April 26, 2017 *Corresponding author: Jensen Ch. A, Internal Medicine Service, Hospital Comarcal of Mora d’Ebre, Spain, Spain, Email:

Perspective

and on developing the neurologic examination with a systematic Józef Julian Franciszek Feliks Babiński, whose Gallicized his life he never married and remained fully absorbed in his methodology for detecting and analyzing problems. Throughout name was Joseph François Felix Babinski, (Figure 1), born on 17, November 1857, in the city of Paris to parents of Polish origin, professional work. He shared his life with his brother Henri, who was one of the most relevant French neurologists whom ade he dearly loved and respected [5]. His companions admired him of the Salpêtrière Hospital, in Paris, a world paradigm of the of the XX. Was disciple of professor Jean-Martin Charcot, head of as an honest and upright scientist because worked for neurology, neurosciences at the end of the XIX century and the beginnings not for his own glory. neurology service at Salpêtrière Hospital considered the father In his professional field, Dr. Babinski cultivated histology and of modern neurology [1]. Babinski made important discovering times. Even today his contributions are still necessary tools for pathological anatomy and recognized the function of the muscle in that field, being his work among the most prestigious of those spindle (mechanoreceptor), distinguished myopathic lesions from neuropathic ones, recognized the lesions of muscular the integral assessment of the patient with neurologic ailments. dystrophies, and drew attention in the hemiplegic form of multiple sclerosis, clarifying the topography of the plates. In 1879 he was hired at a general medical position as “interne des hôpitaux”. In1885 he was appointed as “chef de clinique” to the eminent neurology professor Jean Martin Charcot. In 1890 Babinski successfully cleared the examination for “Medecin des Hôpitaux” and became an academic neurologist. In 1895 he was appointed as chief of service at Hôpital de la Pitie and continued to serve in that position till his retirement in 1922 [6].

For his academic and clinical contributions, throughout his extraordinary career, Babinski was more celebrated around Figure 1: Portrait of Dr. Joseph François Felix Babinski at the world than in France. In 1925, Dr. Babinski was awarded Hôspital de la Pitié. A portrait of Dr. Babinki at Hôpital de la Pitié. (By Eug. Pirou, Paris –http well come images. orgin dexplus Honorary Member status of the American Neurological image L0002972.html, Public Domain). By Eug.Pirou, Paris Association and also was elected to the Royal Medical Society [Public domain or CC BY 4.0 of London and the Warsaw and Cracow Neurological Societies. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], via Wikimedia Later, he was even nominated for the Nobel Prize [7]. Commons. The Oeuvre Scientifique, of Babinski, published by his disciples in 1934, contains 288 references, 257 of which date back for his brilliant description of the abnormal cutaneus plantar Every day is remembered for all neurologist of the world to 1918. The last text he published is dedicated to anosognomy, which accompanies some left hemiplegia [8]. The last year of his reflex obtained in persons with damage in the corticospinal life was affected by Parkinson’s disease. Days before his death, tract, best known as Babinski sign [2]. The famously first he affirmed that his contribution had not been the reflection that report “phenomène des orteils”, was published on February bears his name, but to have opened the way to Thierry de Martel 22, 1896 at a meeting of the Société de Biologie [3]. Copies of and Clovis Vincent. The great scientist, who never married, was

Babinski’s original publication are quite rare because report a lover of classical dance, music (he was a doctor of the theater was never reprinted [4]. Often described as perspicacious and of the Opéra in Paris) and travel. He died on 22 December 1932 meticulous observer, he focused his energies on clinical practice and was buried in the cemetery of the Camels in Montmorency Open Access J Neurol Neurosurg 3(3): OAJNN.MS.ID.555613 (2017) 001 Open Access Journal of Neurology & Neurosurgery

a line that runs from maleolo to maleolo on the dorsal surface [8]. Shortly after his death the Hôpital de la Pitie honored him (Gordon maneuver); or by drawing on the dorsum of the foot Thewith theBabinski´s new neurosurgery Sign department established in his name. of the foot (Chaddock sign), or directly striking the external malleolus, passively abducting the fifth finger (Stransky sign) It is performed by sliding a blunt object, which produces [11], or by compressing the abductors of the thigh (Gerhartz moderate discomfort (without becoming pain), from the outer sign) by hand, pressing with a sharp object in the center of the edge of the sole of the foot (Figure 2) [9], from the heel to the sole of the foot (Rosolimo sign), or performing the maneuver toes, taking a curve at the level of the metatarsals. The normal routinely, but This time the sign will be seen on the opposite sole response would be plantar flexion of the fingers, but if the Referencesof the foot (contralateral reflex of Mass) [8]. Babinski reflex or sign is positive, a dorsal flexion or extension 1. of the first finger is obtained and a fan-like opening of the Teive HAG, Munhoz RP, Souza LC (2011) Where was Joseph Babinski remaining fingers (From the second to the fifth) [10], or the 2. born? Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria 69(2b): 401-403. abduction of the fifth finger (Poussep’s reflex). This reflex is not Ambesh P, Paliwal VK, Shetty V, Kamholz (2016) The Babinski Sign: A diagnostic in children from 0 to 2 years [8]. comprehensive review. J Neurol Sci 372: 477-481. 3. Van Gijn J (1996) The Babinski sign: the first hundred years. J Neurol 243(10): 675-683. 4. Babinski J Sur le (1896) Inorganic affections of the central nervous 5. system. C R Sections Soc Biol Fil 48: 207-208. Belanger C (1989) What do you know about Joseph Babinski? J Can Sci 6. Neurol 16: 4-7. Lanzino G, diPierro CG, Laws ER (1997) One century after the description of the ‘sign’: Joseph Babinski and his contribution to 7. neurosurgery. Neurosurgery 40(4): 822-828. Kwieciski H (1995) On the legacy of Joseph Babinski, Eur Neurol 35(3): Figure 2: Babinski´s sign. By Medicus of Borg-Own work, Public 8. 127-130. Domain. Padilla T (1939) Semiology of the Nervous System. Buenos Aires: The 9. Athenaeum p. 62-64. 10. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3971390 The same response (extension of the first artejo) can be Havana: Editorial Medical Sciencess pp. 172. obtained in different ways, for example: by moving the thumb Llanio Navarro R (2003) Propedéutica Semiología and medical. 11. of the explorer with pressure on the inner side of the tibia from top to bottom (Oppenheim maneuver), or by compressing the Johnston SC (2002) Clinical practice. Transient is chemicattack. N Engl Achilles tendon (Schäfer sign), or compressing the gastronemios J Med 347: 1687. This work is licensed under Creative Your next submission with Juniper Publishers Commons Attribution 4.0 Licens DOI: 10.19080/OAJNN.2017.03.555613 will reach you the below assets • Quality Editorial service • • Swift Peer Review • E-prints Service Reprints availability • • Manuscript Podcast for convenient understanding • Manuscript accessibility in different formats Global attainment for your research ( Pdf, E-pub, Full Text, Audio) •

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How to cite this article: Jensen Ch. A. A Glance at the Notable Life of Babinski. Open Access J Neurol Neurosurg. 2017; 3(3): 555613. DOI: 10.19080/ 002 OAJNN.2017.03.555613