From Wilder Penfield to Roger Frisch

Wilder Graves Penfield (1891-1976) was a famous neurosurgeon. In the 1930s he pioneered the Montreal Procedure – a surgical treatment of epilepsy done under local anaesthetic with the patient conscious. The surgeon exposes and then probes the brain tissue. In response to probing, the conscious patient can describe his or her feelings so the surgeon can identify the exact location of seizure activity. His most famous patient was a woman who smelt burnt toast just before each seizure. Penfield treating her’s re-enacted here. The Montreal Procedure was a precursor of what’s become known as Deep Brain Stimulation [DBS]. And so to Roger Frisch – associate concertmaster with the Minnesota Orchestra. In June 2009 he was diagnosed with essential tremor – which of course threatened his career as a professional violinist. Recently in the Mayo Clinic Frisch underwent DBS. He lay on the operating table with his hands clutching his violin to his chin (pictured). While surgeons probed his brain, he played the chords he’s known for over 30 years. Every note he played told the surgeons whether the electronic pulses they were sending to his brain were easing his tremor. Here’s the video of it. It’s quite remarkable. But more remarkable is that Penfield –acknowledged as one of the greatest Canadians ever – did his surgery a staggering 75 years earlier.