Horace Winchell Magoun (June 23, 1907 – March 6, 1991) was a medical researcher. studied medicine first at the

Rhode Island State College The University of Rhode Island (URI) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Kingston, Rhode Island, United States. It is the flagship public research as well as the land-grant university of the state of Rhode Island ...

and the

Syracuse University Syracuse University (informally 'Cuse or SU) is a Private university, private research university in Syracuse, New York. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Locate ...

, graduating in

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

in 1931. In 1934 earned a

Ph.D. A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...

anatomy Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old science, having its ...

at the Faculty of Medicine

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

, and remained in it first as a university assistant (1934–1937) and then as

professor Professor (commonly abbreviated as Prof.) is an Academy, academic rank at university, universities and other post-secondary education and research institutions in most countries. Literally, ''professor'' derives from Latin as a "person who pr ...

of microscopic anatomy (1937–1950). In 1948, in collaboration with the Italian neurophysiologist

Giuseppe Moruzzi Giuseppe Moruzzi (July 30, 1910 – March 11, 1986) was an Italian neurophysiologist. He was one of three scientists who connected wakefulness to a series of brain structures known as the reticular activating system, and his work reframed sleep as ...

, Magoun identified the brain center responsible for the state of sleep: electrical stimulation of the

brain stem The brainstem (or brain stem) is the posterior stalk-like part of the brain that connects the cerebrum with the spinal cord. In the human brain the brainstem is composed of the midbrain, the pons, and the medulla oblongata. The midbrain is conti ...

, by Moruzzi and Magoun found a link between the station

cerebellum The cerebellum (Latin for "little brain") is a major feature of the hindbrain of all vertebrates. Although usually smaller than the cerebrum, in some animals such as the mormyrid fishes it may be as large as or even larger. In humans, the cerebel ...

and

motor cortex The motor cortex is the region of the cerebral cortex believed to be involved in the planning, control, and execution of voluntary movements. The motor cortex is an area of the frontal lobe located in the posterior precentral gyrus immediately a ...

, producing EEG waves typical of a state of intense supervision. With further investigation showed that both the

deep brain stimulation Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure involving the placement of a medical device called a neurostimulator, which sends electrical impulses, through implanted electrodes, to specific targets in the brain (the brain nucleu ...

of this structure, which they named "reticular formation", caused the awakening of the animal, while its destruction made him fall into a coma permanent. With this guide "classic". Are considered "classics" those works that have been cited in over 400 scientific papers and Moruzzi Magoun laid the foundations for studying the physiology of

sleep Sleep is a sedentary state of mind and body. It is characterized by altered consciousness, relatively inhibited sensory activity, reduced muscle activity and reduced interactions with surroundings. It is distinguished from wakefulness by a de ...

. Magoun took part in numerous projects and research in anatomy and physiology was one of the fathers of the

neuroscience Neuroscience is the scientific study of the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system), its functions and disorders. It is a multidisciplinary science that combines physiology, anatomy, molecular biology, development ...

, the multidisciplinary approach to the study of

nervous system In biology, the nervous system is the highly complex part of an animal that coordinates its actions and sensory information by transmitting signals to and from different parts of its body. The nervous system detects environmental changes th ...

. In 1962 Horace Magounsi moved to '

University of California at Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a Normal school, teachers colle ...

as professor of anatomy and as a result of

psychiatry Psychiatry is the medical specialty devoted to the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of mental disorders. These include various maladaptations related to mood, behaviour, cognition, and perceptions. See glossary of psychiatry. Initial psych ...

. In California, besides the study of the factors that control sleep and waking, Magoun was interested in neuroendocrinology, showing among other things, the important role of '

hypothalamus The hypothalamus () is a part of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. The hypothalamu ...

. In 1963 published an essay (''The waking brain'') which summed up its work on the neuroendocrinology.Horace W. Magoun, The waking brain, Springfield: Thomas, 1958

Awards

* In 1970, was awarded the

Karl Spencer Lashley Award The Karl Spencer Lashley Award is awarded by The American Philosophical Society as a recognition of research on the integrative neuroscience of behavior. The award was established in 1957 by a gift from Dr. Karl Spencer Lashley. Recipients * 202 ...

* In 1988, he was awarded the Ralph W. Gerard Prize in Neuroscience.

Notes

References

* Horace Winchell Magoun and Giuseppe Moruzzi,''Triangle''. November 1958, 3 (7) :295-7, * "Magoun, Horace Winchell 1907-91. In:''The Houghton Mifflin dictionary of biography,''New York, etc.. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2003, * Marshall LH. "Horace Winchell Magoun," Mem Natl Acad Sci''biography''. 2004; 84:250-69, * Francis Wilson Smith and Thomas Bender,''American Higher Education Transformed, 1940-2005: documenting the national discourse,''JHU Press, 2008, , p. 221
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External links

National Academy of Sciences Biographical Memoir
{{DEFAULTSORT:Magoun, Horace Winchell 1907 births 1991 deaths American neuroscientists Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences