The Fessard’s School of neurophysiology after the Second World War in France: globalisation and diversity in neurophysiological research (1938-1955)

Abstract

In France, neurophysiology emerged after the Second World War as a dynamic discipline in different schools, Toulouse, Lyons, Montpellier, Marseilles, and Paris, where Lapicque was losing credit with his studies on the excitability of nerves. Parisian neurophysiologist, Alfred Fessard (1900-1982) was a key figure in establishing a new school of neurophysiology on the model of Edgar Adrian’s department in Cambridge, where he worked for a few months in the late thirties. Fessard was initially a student of Henri Piéron involved in experimental psychology. He also made parallel oscillographic studies on elementary activities in various animal and plant preparations. His school trained leading French neurophysiologists in Paris until recently and Fessard was instrumental in the creation of IBRO in 1961.