[Shostakovich and Right Hand Weakness]

Brain Nerve. 2021 Dec;73(12):1309-1318. doi: 10.11477/mf.1416201940.
[Article in Japanese]

Abstract

Russian composer Dmitri Dmitrievich Shostakovich (25 September 1903-9 August 1975) is sometimes considered to be a famous person who suffered from ALS. However, there are no medical records that mention that his asymmetric weakness was due to ALS, and the exact diagnosis of his illness, which lasted over 17 years, is still obscure. The aim of this paper is to consider what kind of neurological disorder this great composer of the 20th century suffered from based on his piano recordings, photographs, and documents written by his colleagues.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Famous Persons*
  • Hand
  • History, 19th Century
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • Music*
  • Nervous System Diseases*