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Life and death of Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev

Vida e morte de Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev

Abstracts

Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev was a Russian innovative neuroscientist, extraordinary in the study, diagnosis, and research in the fields of neurology, psychology, morphology, physiology, and psychiatry. Considering the ample and multifaceted scientific feats, only some are touched in a very brief manner. However, it is necessary to highlight his contributions to neurology, with the description of structures, signs and syndromes, to physiology, including reflexology, which later underpinned behaviorism, to psychology, including objective psychology and suggestion. His accomplishments and legacy remained until the present days. Some comments about the scenery that involved his death are also presented.

Bekhterev; neurology; reflexology; psychology; suggestion


Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev foi um neurocientista russo inovador, extraordinário no estudo, diagnóstico, e pesquisa nas áreas da neurologia, psicologia, morfologia, fisiologia e psiquiatria. Considerando seus feitos científicos amplos e multifacetados, apenas alguns são tocados de um modo muito abreviado. Entretanto, é necessário realçar suas contribuições à neurologia, com a descrição de estruturas, sinais e síndromes, à fisiologia, compreendendo a reflexologia, que mais tarde fundamentou o behaviorismo, à psicologia, incluindo a psicologia objetiva e a sugestão. Suas realizações e legado se mantiveram até a presente data. Alguns comentários sobre o cenário que envolveu sua morte também são apresentados.

Bekhterev; neurologia; reflexologia; psicologia; sugestão


Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev (or Bechterew, or von Bechterew) (1857-1927), was an extraordinary neurologist, and exceled also in the fields of psychiatry, psychology, morphology, physiology, and pioneered the studies of mental illness in Russia1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611. Some of his very ample and multifaceted scientific contributions will be touched in a very brief manner.

THE MAN – FIRST STEPS

Bekhterev was born in a small village in the Ural Mountains, from Mikhail Petrovichew, a police officer, and Maria Mikhailovna, an educated woman1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086. Completing the gymnasium he was accepted into the St. Petersburg’s Military Medical Academy4Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/34...
, graduating at age 21. He got his habilitation with the Doctor thesis, presented in 1881, “The experience of clinical investigation of the body temperature in some forms of mental diseases”1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086.

Bekhterev was a modest and undemanding man that disliked social life. In 1879 he married Natalya Bazilevskaya, who proved to be an excellent housewife and great companion, and they had six children. His figure impressed by the large head, the face framed by a large beard, sharp black eyes under bushy eyebrows1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,4Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/34...
(Figure 1). He showed a bright and inquisitive mind, unwavering persistence to achieve his goals, and an enormous capacity for work. Often, in the intervals of his lectures, rather than rest, he led hypnosis sessions in the auditorium (Figure 2). He needed only a few hours of sleep, and in the morning, still in bed, he was already working on his manuscripts2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086.

Figure 1
Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev.

Figure 2
Bekhterev during session of mass hypnosis. Image obtained from a movie.

BEKHTEREV’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND LEGACY

The Doctor thesis granted him the Private-Docent title, and in 1884 he obtained a full-time position in the Clinic of Mental Disorders1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541. He submitted 58 works on nervous and mental diseases to a competition board, and as a winner he was sent to Europe in order to expand his competences. In Germany he attended to lectures by Westphal, Ludwig, du Bois-Reymond, and later he worked with Flechsig and Wundt; in Paris he acquainted himself with the work of Charcot, and finally he visited Meynert, in Vienna1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,5Kesselring J. Vladimir Mikhailovic Bekhterev (1857–1927): strange circumstances surrounding the death of the great russian neurologist. Eur Neurol, 2011;66(1):14-7. doi:10.1159/000328779,6Sirotkina IVM. Bekhterev and the beginnings of experimental psychology in Russia. Rev Hist Psicol. 2007;28(2/3):315-20.. While travelling he accepted an invitation to occupy the Chair of Psychiatry in the Kazan University, taking the position on his return1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,4Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/34...
. There, he reorganized the Chair, and founded a Psychophysiological Laboratory, the first in Russia, in 1885, with special equipments and trained collaborators to study morphology and physiology of the nervous system6Sirotkina IVM. Bekhterev and the beginnings of experimental psychology in Russia. Rev Hist Psicol. 2007;28(2/3):315-20.. As one of the results of his research, he proposed a division of the brain in zones, each with a specific function, being one of the first to reveal the role of the hippocampus in memory function1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086. Further, aware that nervous and mental disorders usually occur in conjunction, he believed that there was no definite distinction between them, a trend towards neuropsychiatry4Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/34...
,5Kesselring J. Vladimir Mikhailovic Bekhterev (1857–1927): strange circumstances surrounding the death of the great russian neurologist. Eur Neurol, 2011;66(1):14-7. doi:10.1159/000328779.

Some years later, in 1893, he returned to the Military Medical Academy to head the Chair of the Clinic of Mental Diseases1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541. Interested in the study of psychology, with his idea “that the man should be regarded as ‘a single whole’ or ‘a biosocial entity’ whose understanding requires the study of human consciousness and psychology”, he suggested to establish the Psychoneurological Institute, founded in 1907, and later named after him. The following four years he spent organizing the Bekhterev Psychoneurological Institute, and in 1911 its exclusive building was erected1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541. There he installed a special unit for surgical treatment of nervous and mental diseases, the 1st in Russia. He performed psychophysiological experiments, and studied “reflexology”, a term he coined, and “objective psychology”, a novel concept he introduced. Bekhterev and Pavlov, independently, studied the relation between the organism and the environment - Bekhterev described the fundamental phenomenon of this field as “association reflex”, while Pavlov, as “conditioned reflex”2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086,6Sirotkina IVM. Bekhterev and the beginnings of experimental psychology in Russia. Rev Hist Psicol. 2007;28(2/3):315-20.. After longstanding friendship arose a rivalry between them, with reciprocal criticisms. Bekhterev viewed Pavlov’s use of the “salivatory method” as a flaw, as it could not be easily elicited in men, while Bekhterev’s method was grounded on mild electrical stimulation to examine motor reflexes, allowing to demonstrate the existence of this response in men7World Heritage Encyclopedia. Vladimir Bekhterev. World eBook Library; [Last access: January 22, 2015] Available from: http://ebooklibrary.org/articles/Vladimir_Bekhterev
http://ebooklibrary.org/articles/Vladimi...
. Both were precursors to American Behaviorism, established by Watson, who followed, however, Pavlov’s teachings. Despite their disputes, six years after Bekhterev’s death Pavlov admitted to a friend that “…only now I feel how much I miss the arguments with Bekhterev”2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,5Kesselring J. Vladimir Mikhailovic Bekhterev (1857–1927): strange circumstances surrounding the death of the great russian neurologist. Eur Neurol, 2011;66(1):14-7. doi:10.1159/000328779,6Sirotkina IVM. Bekhterev and the beginnings of experimental psychology in Russia. Rev Hist Psicol. 2007;28(2/3):315-20.,8Razran G. Bekhterev, Vladimir M. In: Sills DL. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. New York: Mcmillan, 1968.. Concerning “objective psychology”, Bekhterev created and developed the main concepts of this new field of psychological science. He claimed that all mental processes were accompanied by reflex movements and vegetative reactions, which could be observed and registered4Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/34...
. Expanding further the psychology field, Bekhterev was one of the first Russian scientists who focused the phenomenon of “suggestion”, establishing its theoretical foundations9Fedotova O. The genesis of the theoretical foundations of “Psychology of suggestion” of V. M. Bekhterev. Proc Soc Behav Sci. 2014;146:147-53. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.08.102.

His inexhaustible intellect, generating a wide range of ideas and concepts, and his infatigable capacity to work, were expressed in more than 800 papers, 10 books and hundreds of conferences 1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,4Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/34...
,8Razran G. Bekhterev, Vladimir M. In: Sills DL. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. New York: Mcmillan, 1968.. He founded the “Bulletin of Neurology” (1892), the first Russian newspaper on Neurology, standing as its editor in the following years, and also founded or gave direct assistance, until 1925, to nine other journals related to all fields of his interests1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,4Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/34...
,8Razran G. Bekhterev, Vladimir M. In: Sills DL. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. New York: Mcmillan, 1968.. His contributions to neurology (enhancing the knowledge on how the brain works), and psychology (establishing the foundation for the future of psychology) were impressive. His name is related to diseases, signs, symptoms, reflexes, methods, and tests, many named after him1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086,1010 Dorland WAN. The American illustrated medical dictionary. 20th ed. USA Saunders; 1944. p.212.(Table).

Table
Vladimir Bekhterev’s legacy – main eponyms3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086,7World Heritage Encyclopedia. Vladimir Bekhterev. World eBook Library; [Last access: January 22, 2015] Available from: http://ebooklibrary.org/articles/Vladimir_Bekhterev
http://ebooklibrary.org/articles/Vladimi...
,1010 Dorland WAN. The American illustrated medical dictionary. 20th ed. USA Saunders; 1944. p.212..

BEKHTEREV’S DEATH AND UNFOLDINGS

In December 1927, at the summit of his prestige, during the First Congress of Neurologists and Psychiatrists of Soviet Russia, in Moscow, came his termination, in a quick way and suspicious circumstances1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,5Kesselring J. Vladimir Mikhailovic Bekhterev (1857–1927): strange circumstances surrounding the death of the great russian neurologist. Eur Neurol, 2011;66(1):14-7. doi:10.1159/000328779,6Sirotkina IVM. Bekhterev and the beginnings of experimental psychology in Russia. Rev Hist Psicol. 2007;28(2/3):315-20.(Box).

Box
Circumstances of Bekhterev’s death1Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541,2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,5Kesselring J. Vladimir Mikhailovic Bekhterev (1857–1927): strange circumstances surrounding the death of the great russian neurologist. Eur Neurol, 2011;66(1):14-7. doi:10.1159/000328779,6Sirotkina IVM. Bekhterev and the beginnings of experimental psychology in Russia. Rev Hist Psicol. 2007;28(2/3):315-20..

In conclusion, Bekhterev was an intellectually gifted person, originating a wide range of contributions with ample repercussion in the dominion of the neurosciences. Revered as an encyclopedic scientist, received the admirative quotation attributed to the eminent German anatomist Friedrich Kopsch2Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611,3Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086,5Kesselring J. Vladimir Mikhailovic Bekhterev (1857–1927): strange circumstances surrounding the death of the great russian neurologist. Eur Neurol, 2011;66(1):14-7. doi:10.1159/000328779: “Only two know the mystery of brain structure and organization: God and Bekhterev”.

References

  • 1
    Akimenko MA. Vladimir Mikhailovich Bekhterev. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):100-9. doi:10.1080/09647040600550541
  • 2
    Lerner V., Margolin J., Witztum E. Vladimir Bekhterev: his life, his work and the mystery of his death. Hist Pschyatry. 2005;16(2):217-27. doi:10.1177/0957154X05049611
  • 3
    Amirov NKH, Bogdanov EI, Guryleva ME, Zefirov AL, Ismagliov MF, Mukhamedzyanov RZ et al. The history of Kazan neurological school. J Hist Neurosci. 2007;16(1-2):110-22. doi:10.1080/09647040600659086
  • 4
    Kizilova A. Vladimir Bekhterev. Russia InfoCenter. 2015 [Last access: January 20, 2015]. Available from: http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
    » http://russia-ic.com/people/general/b/348
  • 5
    Kesselring J. Vladimir Mikhailovic Bekhterev (1857–1927): strange circumstances surrounding the death of the great russian neurologist. Eur Neurol, 2011;66(1):14-7. doi:10.1159/000328779
  • 6
    Sirotkina IVM. Bekhterev and the beginnings of experimental psychology in Russia. Rev Hist Psicol. 2007;28(2/3):315-20.
  • 7
    World Heritage Encyclopedia. Vladimir Bekhterev. World eBook Library; [Last access: January 22, 2015] Available from: http://ebooklibrary.org/articles/Vladimir_Bekhterev
    » http://ebooklibrary.org/articles/Vladimir_Bekhterev
  • 8
    Razran G. Bekhterev, Vladimir M. In: Sills DL. International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. New York: Mcmillan, 1968.
  • 9
    Fedotova O. The genesis of the theoretical foundations of “Psychology of suggestion” of V. M. Bekhterev. Proc Soc Behav Sci. 2014;146:147-53. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.08.102
  • 10
    Dorland WAN. The American illustrated medical dictionary. 20th ed. USA Saunders; 1944. p.212.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    18 Aug 2015
  • Date of issue
    Nov 2015

History

  • Received
    27 May 2015
  • Accepted
    17 June 2015
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