Saturday, September 23, 2023
SCIENMAG: Latest Science and Health News
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US
No Result
View All Result
Scienmag - Latest science news from science magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home SCIENCE NEWS Social & Behavioral Science

Expert unravels disease that took the hearing of world-famous painter

April 28, 2017
in Social & Behavioral Science
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Francisco Goya is the most important Spanish artist of the late 18th and early 19th century. He was famed for his sensitive portraits, and many historians argue that he was the first truly modern painter.

But he was not immune to tragedy.

In 1793, at the height of his artistic powers, Goya, then 46, came down with a severe, undiagnosed illness. He was bedridden for months, suffered from hallucinations and constant headaches, and could hardly walk. Eventually most of the symptoms went away, but his hearing never returned. Perhaps in response to this, his work became increasingly dark.

After examining a range of evidence about Goya's condition, Ronna Hertzano, a hearing expert at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UM SOM), has developed a diagnosis. She thinks Goya likely suffered from an autoimmune disease called Susac's syndrome; a second possibility is syphilis. The main symptoms of Susac's are impaired brain function, as well as loss of vision, balance and hearing. While most of these symptoms usually disappear with time, patients can suffer from permanent hearing loss; syphilis can also lead to severe hearing loss. And in the 19th century, there was no treatment for either of these illnesses.

Dr. Hertzano will deliver her diagnosis at the 24th annual Historical Clinicopathological Conference, held Friday, April 28 at UM SOM. The conference is devoted to the diagnosis of disorders that afflicted historical figures; in the past, experts have focused on the diseases of luminaries such as Lenin, Darwin, Eleanor Roosevelt and Lincoln.

"This required real detective work," says Dr. Hertzano, an expert on the cellular and genetic mechanisms of hearing loss. "The question of Goya's ailment was a fascinating medical mystery. I think his case has several plausible possibilities."

She notes that the outcome today would have been completely different. Even with his hearing loss, Goya could have gotten cochlear implants, which would have enabled him to hear once again. "He would not have lived a deaf life after his disease," Dr. Hertzano said.

Also speaking at the conference will be Janice A. Tomlinson, director of special collections and museums at the University of Delaware. Dr. Tomlinson is an expert on Goya's art.

###

The conference was founded in 1995 by Philip A. Mackowiak, MD, Carolyn Frenkil and Selvin Passen History of Medicine Scholar-in-Residence at UM SOM. "This is a thought-provoking piece of medical detective work," says Dr. Mackowiak. "If Dr. Hertzano had been around to restore Goya's hearing in 1792, she would have had a profound effect on his life and possibly also on the character of his later works."

Media Contact

David Kohn
dkohn@som.umaryland.edu
410-706-7590
@ummedschool

http://medschool.umaryland.edu/

Share25Tweet16Share4ShareSendShare
  • Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

    1036 shares
    Share 414 Tweet 259
  • New findings on hair loss in men

    67 shares
    Share 27 Tweet 17
  • Fruit flies offer clues to how brains make reward-based decisions

    65 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • The potential of solar cars in the world

    64 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • Wildlife mitigating measures no help for Ottawa’s freshwater turtles

    64 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
  • ISSCR Kicks off São Paulo International Symposium today in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil

    64 shares
    Share 26 Tweet 16
ADVERTISEMENT

About us

We bring you the latest science news from best research centers and universities around the world. Check our website.

Latest NEWS

Null results research now published by major behavioral medicine journal

Corning® launches Videodrop, revolutionizing real-time nanoparticle detection and analysis

Grant awarded to University of Louisville law professor will fund climate adaptation project

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 208 other subscribers

© 2023 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

No Result
View All Result
  • HOME PAGE
  • BIOLOGY
  • CHEMISTRY AND PHYSICS
  • MEDICINE
    • Cancer
    • Infectious Emerging Diseases
  • SPACE
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • CONTACT US

© 2023 Scienmag- Science Magazine: Latest Science News.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In