Friedrich Nietzsche's mental illness--general paralysis of the insane vs. frontotemporal dementia.
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Friedrich Nietzsche's mental illness--general paralysis of the insane vs. frontotemporal dementia. / Orth, Michael; Trimble, M R.
In: ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND, Vol. 114, No. 6, 6, 2006, p. 439-445.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Friedrich Nietzsche's mental illness--general paralysis of the insane vs. frontotemporal dementia.
AU - Orth, Michael
AU - Trimble, M R
PY - 2006
Y1 - 2006
N2 - OBJECTIVE: For a long time it was thought that Nietzsche suffered from general paralysis of the insane (GPI). However, this diagnosis has been questioned recently, and alternative diagnoses have been proposed. METHOD: We have charted Friedrich Nietzsche's final fatal illness, and viewed the differential diagnosis in the light of recent neurological understandings of dementia syndromes. RESULTS: It is unclear that Nietzsche ever had syphilis. He lacked progressive motor and other neurological features of a progressive syphilitic central nervous system (CNS) infection and lived at least 12 years following the onset of his CNS signs, which would be extremely rare for patients with untreated GPI. Finally, his flourish of productivity in 1888 would be quite uncharacteristic of GPI, but in keeping with reports of burgeoning creativity at some point in the progression of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). CONCLUSION: We suggest that Nietzsche did not have GPI, but died from a chronic dementia, namely FTD.
AB - OBJECTIVE: For a long time it was thought that Nietzsche suffered from general paralysis of the insane (GPI). However, this diagnosis has been questioned recently, and alternative diagnoses have been proposed. METHOD: We have charted Friedrich Nietzsche's final fatal illness, and viewed the differential diagnosis in the light of recent neurological understandings of dementia syndromes. RESULTS: It is unclear that Nietzsche ever had syphilis. He lacked progressive motor and other neurological features of a progressive syphilitic central nervous system (CNS) infection and lived at least 12 years following the onset of his CNS signs, which would be extremely rare for patients with untreated GPI. Finally, his flourish of productivity in 1888 would be quite uncharacteristic of GPI, but in keeping with reports of burgeoning creativity at some point in the progression of frontotemporal dementia (FTD). CONCLUSION: We suggest that Nietzsche did not have GPI, but died from a chronic dementia, namely FTD.
M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz
VL - 114
SP - 439
EP - 445
JO - ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND
JF - ACTA PSYCHIAT SCAND
SN - 0001-690X
IS - 6
M1 - 6
ER -
