The sleep theory of Constantin von Economo.
The present paper describes the fascinating life of Constantin von Economo, the discoverer of encephalitis lethargica, and discusses his concepts concerning the purpose of sleep, and its regulation. These concepts, derived from his observations and examination of patients with encephalitis lethargica, anticipated some of our contemporary theories regarding sleep regulation.
Lavie
P
Sleep Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel.