What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness?
Background. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is one of the most profound modern philosophers. Since childhood, Nietzsche suffered from severe headaches, and at the age of thirty he became blind in his right eye. At the age of 44, Nietzsche experienced a mental collapse, after which he became depende...
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Vilnius University Press
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Neurologijos seminarai |
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| Online Access: | https://www.journals.vu.lt/neurologijos_seminarai/article/view/33562 |
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| author | E. Žilinskas |
| author_facet | E. Žilinskas |
| author_sort | E. Žilinskas |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Background. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is one of the most profound modern philosophers. Since childhood, Nietzsche suffered from severe headaches, and at the age of thirty he became blind in his right eye. At the age of 44, Nietzsche experienced a mental collapse, after which he became dependent on others. For a long time, it was thought that neurosyphilis was the diagnosis of Nietzsche's symptoms. However, latest studies suggest other hypotheses.
Materials and methods. Nietzsche's letters to his friends, the memories of his family members and friends, and the medical records of his doctors were analysed. On the basis of primary sources, a retrospective medical history of Nietzsche is presented. Furthermore, in accordance with secondary articles on Nietzsche's illnesses, the main hypotheses have been provided along with their advantages and disadvantages.
Results. The hypothesis of neurosyphilis becomes obsolete. New diagnoses have been proposed: frontotemporal dementia, intracranial mass, MELAS syndrome, and CADASIL.
Conclusions. Despite a detailed analysis of Nietzsche's illnesses, the exact diagnosis remains unclear.
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-aedc2f1d114445edb51eab2bf3115cb8 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1392-3064 2424-5917 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | Vilnius University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Neurologijos seminarai |
| spelling | doaj-art-aedc2f1d114445edb51eab2bf3115cb82025-01-20T18:22:04ZengVilnius University PressNeurologijos seminarai1392-30642424-59172023-11-0127No. 1 (95)10.29014/NS.2023.27.2What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness?E. Žilinskas0Vilnius University, Lithuania Background. Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) is one of the most profound modern philosophers. Since childhood, Nietzsche suffered from severe headaches, and at the age of thirty he became blind in his right eye. At the age of 44, Nietzsche experienced a mental collapse, after which he became dependent on others. For a long time, it was thought that neurosyphilis was the diagnosis of Nietzsche's symptoms. However, latest studies suggest other hypotheses. Materials and methods. Nietzsche's letters to his friends, the memories of his family members and friends, and the medical records of his doctors were analysed. On the basis of primary sources, a retrospective medical history of Nietzsche is presented. Furthermore, in accordance with secondary articles on Nietzsche's illnesses, the main hypotheses have been provided along with their advantages and disadvantages. Results. The hypothesis of neurosyphilis becomes obsolete. New diagnoses have been proposed: frontotemporal dementia, intracranial mass, MELAS syndrome, and CADASIL. Conclusions. Despite a detailed analysis of Nietzsche's illnesses, the exact diagnosis remains unclear. https://www.journals.vu.lt/neurologijos_seminarai/article/view/33562CADASILMELASfrontotemporal dementiaNietzscheneurosyphilis |
| spellingShingle | E. Žilinskas What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness? Neurologijos seminarai CADASIL MELAS frontotemporal dementia Nietzsche neurosyphilis |
| title | What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness? |
| title_full | What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness? |
| title_fullStr | What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness? |
| title_full_unstemmed | What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness? |
| title_short | What was the cause of Friedrich Nietzsche's illness? |
| title_sort | what was the cause of friedrich nietzsche s illness |
| topic | CADASIL MELAS frontotemporal dementia Nietzsche neurosyphilis |
| url | https://www.journals.vu.lt/neurologijos_seminarai/article/view/33562 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ezilinskas whatwasthecauseoffriedrichnietzschesillness |