Citation

Gupta R, Kim C, Agarwal N, Lieber B, Monaco EA. World Neurosurg. 2015; 84(5): 1447-1452.

Affiliation

Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.wneu.2015.06.014

PMID

26093359

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of Lewy Bodies and a reduction in the number of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra of the basal ganglia. Common symptoms of Parkinson's disease include: a reduction in control of voluntary movements, rigidity, and tremors. Such symptoms are marked by a severe deterioration in motor function. The causes of Parkinson's disease in many cases are unknown. PD has been found to be prominent in several notable people, including Adolf Hitler, the Chancellor of Germany and Führer of Nazi Germany during World War II. It is believed that Adolf Hitler suffered from idiopathic Parkinson's disease throughout his life. However, the effect of Parkinson's disease on Adolf Hitler's decision-making during World War II is largely unknown. Here we examine the potential role of Parkinson's disease in shaping Hitler's personality and influencing his decision-making. We purport that Germany's defeat in World War II was influenced by Hitler's questionable and risky decision-making and his inhumane and callous personality, both of which were likely affected by his Parkinson's condition. Likewise his paranoid disorder marked by intense anti-Semitic beliefs influenced his treatment of Jews and other non-Germanic peoples. We also suggest that the condition played an important role in his eventual political decline.

Language: en