Henri Jean Pascal Gastaut (April 15, 1915, Monaco – July 14, 1995 Marseille)[1][2] was a French neurologist and epileptologist.

Biography

Gastaut was educated in medicine at the University of Marseille, obtaining his medical doctorate in 1945. Thereafter he trained in neurology with Henri Roger and in neuroanatomy with Lucien Cornil in Marseille. In 1953 he became head of the neurobiological laboratories at the Marseille Hospital. In 1954 he succeeded Cornil as professor of anatomical pathology and in 1960 he was appointed as director of the regional centre for epileptic children.[3] In 1973 a chair of clinical neurophysiology was created for him,[4] a tenure he held until his retirement in 1984.

His major interests involved research of electroencephalography and brain functionality in epilepsy. In 1957 he described the hemiconvulsion-hemiplegia-epilepsy(HHE) syndrome,[5] in 1961[6] and 1966[7] the Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, and in 1981[8] and 1982[9] the late variant of the benign childhood epilepsy with occipital paroxysms.

After the Second World War he was influential in reactivating the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). After serving as president elect from 1953 to 1957, he was secretary general from 1957 to 1969 of the ILAE, before being elected as its president from 1969 to 1973 and being past president from 1973 to 1977. In addition he was Chairman of the Commission on Terminology of the ILAE in 1963 which resulted in the publication of a Dictionary of Epilepsy.[10]

He attempted to understand possible ties between epilepsy and artistic genius in individuals such as Fedor Dostoyevski, Gustave Flaubert, and Vincent van Gogh, and published a number of papers about this relationship.[4]

In 1967 he was elected dean of the University of Marseille School of Medicine.[4]

Awards

Among others, Gastaut was awarded as "Ambassador for Epilepsy" by the ILAE and International Bureau for Epilepsy in 1968 and with the Lennox Award of the American Epilepsy Society (AES) in 1977.

Published works

Associated eponyms

References

  1. ^ Dravet C, Roger J. Henri Gastaut 1915 – 1995 (in memoriam). Epilepsia (fourth series) 1996; 37: 410–415
  2. ^ Krämer G. Lexikon der Epileptologie. Bad Honnef, Hippocampus-Verlag 2012: 515-516
  3. ^ Biography of Henri Jean Pascal Gastaut at Who Named It
  4. ^ a b c ILAE.org In Memoriam Henri Gastaut 1915-1995
  5. ^ Gastaut H, Vigouroux M, Trevisan C, Regis H. Le syndrome „hémiconvulsion-hémiplegie-épilepsie“ (syndrome H.H.E.). Rev Neurol (Paris) 1957; 97: 37–52
  6. ^ Gastaut H, Régis H. On the subject of Lennox’ “akinetic” petit mal. In memory of W. G. Lennox. Epilepsia 1961; 2: 298–305
  7. ^ Gastaut H, Roger J, Soulayrol R, et al. Childhood epileptic encephalopathy with diffuse slow spike-waves (otherwise known as ʻpetit mal variant’) or Lennox-syndrome. Epilepsia (fourth series) 1966; 7: 139–179
  8. ^ Gastaut H. L’épilepsie bénigne de l’enfant à pointe-ondes occipitales. Bull Acad R Méd Belg 1981; 136: 540–555
  9. ^ Gastaut H. A new type of epilepsy: benign partial epilepsy of childhood with occipital spike-waves. Clin Electroencephalogr 1982; 13: 13–22
  10. ^ Gastaut H en collaboration avec un groupe international d’experts. Dictionnaire De LʼÉpilepsie. Partie I: Définitions. Organisation Mondiale de la Santé, Genève 1973; English edition: Gastaut H in Collaboration with an International Group of Experts. Dictionary of Epilepsy. Part I: Definitions. World Health Organization, Geneva 1973; German edition: Gastaut H, unter Mitarbeit einer internationalen Expertengruppe (Kugler J, Übersetzer). Wörterbuch der Epilepsie. Stuttgart, Hippokrates 1976
  11. ^ Gastaut's syndrome I at Who Named It
  12. ^ Lennox-Gastaut at Who Named It
  13. ^ Genetics Home References Lennox-Gastaut syndrome
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