Flourens en la «Encyclopedia of the Neurological Sciences»

        FRENCH PHYSIOLOGIST Marie-Jean-Pierre Flourens (1794–1867) was one of the earliest proponents of the use of the experimental method to explore the function of the central nervous system (CNS). He strongly opposed contemporary theories, such as phrenology, that suggested that the cerebral cortex had specialized regions for processing specific types of information (e.g., visual information) and for performing specific functions (e.g., understanding the spoken word). His opposition to the concept of specialized cortical function in the cortex…