MacDonald Critchley
MacDonald Critchley (1900-1997) was an English neurologist
Macdonald Critchley (1900–1997) was one of the most influential British neurologists of the 20th century, celebrated for his pioneering studies of higher cerebral function and his elegant contributions to medical literature. Trained at Bristol and Queen Square under Gordon Holmes and Kinnier Wilson, he rose swiftly through the ranks to become a consultant at the National Hospital, Queen Square and King’s College Hospital by the age of 27. His early writings included works on mirror-writing (1928) and language disorders, setting the foundation for a lifelong focus on cognition and aphasia.
Critchley’s most renowned book, The parietal lobes (1953), remains a cornerstone of cognitive neurology. He introduced concepts that shaped modern understanding of aphasiology, dyslexia, and visuospatial syndromes, and later explored links between music and brain function. Alongside his scientific output, Critchley penned essays on history, art, and culture in works such as The Divine Banquet of the Brain and The Citadel of the Senses as well as biographies of John Hughlings Jackson and Sir William Gowers. His writings were marked by literary polish and intellectual breadth, reflecting a neurologist with the sensibility of a humanist.
Beyond academia, Critchley was a charismatic teacher, Dean of the Institute of Neurology (1948–1953), President of the Association of British Neurologists, and later President of the World Federation of Neurology. He organized neurological services for the Royal Navy in WWII and founded the British Migraine Trust. Even in his later years, nearly blind, he continued writing and teaching, leaving behind more than 300 articles and 20 books. Critchley died in 1997, his legacy firmly embedded in the evolution of cognitive neurology and the intellectual culture of medicine.
Biographical Timeline
- Born on February 2, 1900 in Bristol, England
- 1914–1918 Educated at Clifton College, excelling in classics and languages; served as an RAF cadet near the end of WWI .
- 1919–1923 Studied medicine at Bristol University, MB BS (1923); gold medalist and editor of the university magazine .
- 1924 – House physician at Bristol General Hospital
- 1925 – National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, Queen Square; trained by the likes of Gordon Holmes, James Collier, Kinnier Wilson, and Risien Russell
- 1927 – Published with William Adie the description of frontal-lobe release phenomenon, later called the Adie–Critchley phenomenon.
- 1928 – consultant physician, National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic, Queen Square; Authored early paper on mirror-writing, marking his interest in higher cortical function
- 1929 – Appointed Consultant Neurologist at King’s College Hospital; began prolific writing on language disorders.
- 1930s – Established reputation in cognitive neurology, publishing widely on aphasia, dyslexia, and visuospatial syndromes.
- 1935 – physician for nervous diseases, King’s College Hospital
- 1937 – Head of the Department of Neurology, King’s College Hospital
- 1939-1945 WWII Service: Organized neurological services for the Royal Navy; Consulting Neurologist and Surgeon Captain in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve at HMS Drake; awarded OBE (1946)
- 1948-1953 Dean of the Institute of Neurology at Queen Square; oversaw post-war reorganization of neurology training.
- 1950 – Founded the British Migraine Trust, pioneering advocacy for headache disorders
- 1953 – Published The Parietal Lobes, his magnum opus in higher cortical function .
- 1959–1965 President of the World Federation of Neurology; promoted international collaboration in neurological sciences
- 1960s–1980s Authored major works on aphasia, migraine, and neuroaesthetics, including Music and the Brain (1977) and The Divine Banquet of the Brain. Knighted for services to neurology and medical education
- 1984 – Published The Citadel of the Senses, blending neurology and the humanities
- Died on October 15, 1997, aged 97; left more than 300 papers and 20 books, revered for scholarship and humanism
Medical Eponyms
Adie-Critchley syndrome (1927)
A phenomenon caused by tumour of the contralateral frontal lobe superior part of area 6. When an object is placed in one hand of a patient, they grasp it and hold it tightly. If attempots are made to withdraw the object, the grip tightens, and the patient is unable to voluntarily relax their grip to release the object.
William John Adie (1886-1935) and Critchley describe three cases of frontal tumours, in each of which there was marked involuntary grasping and groping movements in the contralateral limb caused by a tumour in the upper and posterior part of the frontal lobes. Attention is drawn to the resemblance in the infant of 3-18 months, whose grasping and groping is not under voluntary control. When the parts of the cortex which subserve the conditioned reflexes are damaged then the unconditioned, less controlled reactions appear.
The movements in the flexors and extensors of the forearm and hand are co-ordinated perfectly so long as the movements are gentle and the hand is empty; yet certain movements of the hand cannot be prevented, and once the hand has closed reflexly upon an object, or has been closed voluntarily and firmly, it cannot be opened. The will to open it is there; the extensors are innervated powerfully but the flexors fail to relax. Relaxation is delayed, and the grip tightens when attempts are made to remove an object from the hand passively and when the patient makes voluntary efforts to relax ; partial or complete relaxation occurs when voluntary innervation ceases, and when the palm is no longer stimulated.
Note: In 1926, John Farquhar Fulton (1899-1960) published his doctoral thesis on Muscular Contraction and the Reflex Control of Movement in which he first described the concept of the Adie-Critchley phenomenon.
Key Medical Contributions
Aphasia, Dyslexia & Language Disorders
Critchley’s career-long interest in language disorders produced major contributions to aphasiology and developmental dyslexia. He viewed dyslexia as a neurodevelopmental disorder of higher cortical function rather than mere educational failure, a position that influenced educational psychology. His work The Dyslexic Child (1964) helped destigmatize the condition and frame it within neurology.
The Parietal Lobes (1953)
Critchley’s masterpiece, The Parietal Lobes (1953), remains a cornerstone of cognitive neurology. In this monograph, he synthesized clinical, pathological, and experimental data on parietal function—decades before functional imaging. He described disorders of visuospatial processing, body schema, and constructional praxis, shaping modern concepts of agnosia and apraxia. The book established Critchley as the leading authority on cortical integration:
The parietal lobes are the crossroads of sensory experience and action; from them springs the coordination which transforms sensation into performance.
Essays and the Medical Humanities
Critchley combined neurology with erudition in works such as The Divine Banquet of the Brain (1979) and The Citadel of the Senses (1984), blending clinical observation with literature, art, and philosophy. These essays reflected his conviction that medicine is “a science enriched by the humanities, and impoverished without them.” His writing style was witty, elegant, and humane which earned him admiration beyond neurology.
Music and the Brain (1977)
In Music and the Brain, Critchley explored the neurological basis of musical perception, creativity, and emotion, pioneering what we now call neuroaesthetics. He analyzed cases of musicogenic epilepsy and described disorders of rhythm, tone, and melody in brain injury, highlighting the interplay between hemispheric specialization and artistic expression:
Music, like language, is an ultimate cerebral achievement—an art that reveals the harmony of the human cortex.
Leadership, Teaching & Legacy
Critchley served as Dean of the Institute of Neurology (1948–1953) and President of the World Federation of Neurology, championing international cooperation in research and education. A charismatic lecturer, fluent in multiple languages, and a cultural polymath. His integration of cognitive neuroscience with humanistic insight remains unmatched.
Major Publications
- Adie WJ, Critchley M. Forced Grasping and Groping. Brain, 1927; 50(2): 142–170 [Adie-Critchley syndrome]
- Critchley M. Problems of Naval warfare under climatic extremes. Mil Surg. 1946 Feb;98:94
- Critchley M. Sir William Gowers, 1845-1915: a biographical appreciation. London: Heinemann, 1949
- Critchley M. The parietal lobes. London, Edward Arnold, 1953.
- Critchley M. Dyslexia in Braille-Readers. 1962
- Critchley M. Periodic hypersomnia and megaphagia in adolescent males. Brain. 1962 Dec;85:627-56. [Kleine-Levin syndrome]
- Critchley M. Developmental Dyslexia. 1964
- Critchley M. The enigma of Gerstmann’s syndrome. Brain. 1966 Jun;89(2):183-98
- Critchley M. Aphasiology and other aspects of language. 1970
- Critchley M, Henson RA editors. Music and the Brain: Studies in the Neurology of Music.
London: Heinemann, 1977. - Critchley M. Dax’s law. Int J Neurol. 1978;11(4):404-11.
- Critchley M. Divine Banquet of the Brain. Raven Press, New York 1979
- Critchley M, Critchley EA. John Hughlings Jackson, Father of English Neurology. OUP 1998
- Critchley M. The citadel of the senses. 1986
References
Biography
- Compston A. Dr Macdonald Critchley (1900–97). Brain 2010; 133(2): 311–313.
- Martinez AM, Moro A, Munhoz RP, Teive HA. MacDonald Critchley. Arq Neuropsiquiatr. 2013 Jan;71(1):61-2.
- Sandrone S, van Gijn J. Macdonald Critchley (1900-1997). J Neurol. 2018 May;265(5):1244-1245.
- Pearce JMS. Macdonald Critchley. Hektoen International 2021
- Macdonald Critchley. RCP Inspiring Physicians
Eponym
the person behind the name
