Chapter 10: the birth of localization theory

The theory of cortical localization of function holds that different cerebral cortical territories serve different functions, such as vision and language. This theory began to be entertained in the mid-1700s, but it had no impact until Gall made it central to his thinking in the early 1800s. Gall's organology, with its emphasis on cranial bumps, soon fell into disrepute, but in the decades that followed Bouillaud, Aubertin, and Broca advanced the concept by turning to clinical cases of speech loss, and in 1870 Fritsch and Hitzig demonstrated its validity, studying motor functions with animals. The theory of cortical localization of function served as a guiding factor in changing the practice of neurology, and clinicians encountered new material supportive of the doctrine. Surgical neurology, anatomy, and physiology also supported the new way of thinking, contributing to a better understanding of the functional organization of the cerebral cortex and to clinical neurology.