The maestro don Gonzalo Rodríguez-Lafora

Abstract:

Summary

Gonzalo Rodríguez-Lafora (1886-1971) was an influential Spanish neurologist, and has been called the last of Cajal's great Spanish disciples. Of course, he is best known now for describing (in 1911) the intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies in “Lafora disease.” In total, he published ∼200 papers covering a wide range of subjects in neurology, psychiatry, and neuropathology. He made seminal contributions not only to the clinical and scientific literature but also to the training of many noted disciples who paid him due homage as a true “maestro.” Throughout his intellectual endeavors, Lafora manifested a singular purpose and intensity and a burning devotion to scientific honesty.

Keywords: Lafora disease; Epilepsy; Cajal; Madrid; Spain

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1111/j.1528-1167.2008.01543.x

Affiliations: 1: Department of Neurological Surgery 2: School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, California, U.S.A. 3: Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Germany