22nd Annual General Meeting

Institute of Child Health, London, UK, 4 February 2009

01 CHANGING CONCEPTS OF THE LIMBIC SYSTEM

M Trimble.

Author information: Professor Michael Trimble was for many years Professor of Behavioural Neurology and Consultant Physician to the Department of Psychological Medicine at the National Hospital Queen Square, London. He now holds emeritus status at the above institutions.

Professor Trimble was educated at Malvern College, Worcestershire and then studied medicine at Birmingham University. His first degree was, and lifelong interest has been, in neuroanatomy. Following obtaining a first class honours degree in that subject, he proceeded to qualify in medicine with honours, also being awarded the Vice Chancellor’s Prize as university student of the year in 1970.

He studied general medicine, especially cardiology, obtaining membership of the Royal College of Physicians before going to the National Hospital, Queen Square and then the Maudsley Hospital to advance his training in neurology and psychiatry. Following an internship in psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, he returned to the National Hospital to pursue a career in neuropsychiatry.

He soon set up a research group with main interests in the interface disorders between neurology and psychiatry, reflected in the developing recognition of neuropsychiatry and behavioural neurology as independent disciplines. The research group (Raymond–Way Unit) explored the behavioural consequences of neurological disorders and their treatment, with a major interest in epilepsy and movement disorders. His current writing and academic interests involve teaching and lecturing on neuroanatomical concepts relevant to understanding behaviour and its variations, in particular with an interest in neuroaesthetics and neurotheology, namely the cerebral basis of artistic and religious experiences. His recent books include The Soul in the Brain: The Cerebral Basis of Language, Art and Belief, Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, 2007.

Abstract: Our concepts of the limbic system have developed considerably in the past 30 years. A brief history of this development will be given, from the …