Hans Berger: Creator of the Electroencenograph
Hans Berger: Creator of the Electroencephalogram
A Research Essay
San Francisco State University
Author Note This essay was written for English 214: Second Year Written Composition, section 08, taught by Professor Mark Schleunes
Abstract
In the early 20th century the invention of the electroencephalogram impacted medicine greatly. After over 20 years of research, Hans Berger became the first to ever record human brain waves. Now, doctors are able to diagnose many different disorders, locate tumors and monitor brain activity and health. Without the hard work of Berger, none of today’s work in psychology, psychiatry, or neurology would be possible. In this essay, I will cover the life and discuss the contributions made by Hans Berger.
Hans Berger: Creator of the Electroencephalogram Berger was born on May 21, 1873 in the small town of Neuses, Germany. His father was a physician and his mother was the daughter of a poet. Despite his father’s position as a physician, Berger did not wish to follow his father’s footsteps and pursue a career in medicine. Instead he followed mathematics and astronomy (Millett, 2001). It wasn’t until a year after he was released from the military in 1892 that he switched paths and started studying medicine. And it wouldn’t have started if his father hadn’t contacted him after an accident he had while in the military (“Hans Berger Biography”). In the end, Berger studied brain waves to test psychic abilities such as telepathy. Berger’s studies lead to a medical breakthrough when he invented the electroencephalogram (EEG) in 1924. The EEG is one of the greatest contributions to medicine, and thanks to Berger, we have been able to diagnose brain disorders like epilepsy, sleep disorders like insomnia, find cancerous tumors, and even monitor the brain during brain surgery. Berger went to the University of Berlin and graduated with a degree in astronomy in 1892. Fed up
A Research Essay
San Francisco State University
Author Note This essay was written for English 214: Second Year Written Composition, section 08, taught by Professor Mark Schleunes
Abstract
In the early 20th century the invention of the electroencephalogram impacted medicine greatly. After over 20 years of research, Hans Berger became the first to ever record human brain waves. Now, doctors are able to diagnose many different disorders, locate tumors and monitor brain activity and health. Without the hard work of Berger, none of today’s work in psychology, psychiatry, or neurology would be possible. In this essay, I will cover the life and discuss the contributions made by Hans Berger.
Hans Berger: Creator of the Electroencephalogram Berger was born on May 21, 1873 in the small town of Neuses, Germany. His father was a physician and his mother was the daughter of a poet. Despite his father’s position as a physician, Berger did not wish to follow his father’s footsteps and pursue a career in medicine. Instead he followed mathematics and astronomy (Millett, 2001). It wasn’t until a year after he was released from the military in 1892 that he switched paths and started studying medicine. And it wouldn’t have started if his father hadn’t contacted him after an accident he had while in the military (“Hans Berger Biography”). In the end, Berger studied brain waves to test psychic abilities such as telepathy. Berger’s studies lead to a medical breakthrough when he invented the electroencephalogram (EEG) in 1924. The EEG is one of the greatest contributions to medicine, and thanks to Berger, we have been able to diagnose brain disorders like epilepsy, sleep disorders like insomnia, find cancerous tumors, and even monitor the brain during brain surgery. Berger went to the University of Berlin and graduated with a degree in astronomy in 1892. Fed up