The Denny-Brown Collection: Useful Resource for Physical Therapy Practitioners and Educators

Excerpt

Understanding the effects of central nervous system (CNS) lesions on human motor behavior, and the potential for and stages of recovery, is of paramount importance to physical therapists. We suggest in this review that the Denny-Brown collection has much to offer physical therapists in furthering their understanding of these issues.²

The Denny-Brown Collection

Dr Derek E Denny-Brown, at the time of his death in 1981, was the James Jackson Putnam Professor of Neurology Emeritus at Harvard Medical School (Cambridge, Mass). His illustrious career has been described by Gilman,¹ Foley,² Geschwind,³ and Gilliat,⁴ and his well-known legacy to neurology includes his classic books, articles, and edited volumes and the many residents, fellows, and students he trained.

Denny-Brown left behind another legacy that is less well known. Between 1948 and 1972, he conducted CNS lesion experiments on about 450 monkeys and made films of the animals postoperatively.…