Edgar Allan Poe and neurology

Abstract

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most celebrated writers of all time. He published several masterpieces, some of which include references to neurological diseases. Poe suffered from recurrent depression, suggesting a bipolar disorder, as well as alcohol and drug abuse, which in fact led to his death from complications related to alcoholism. Various hypotheses were put forward, including Wernicke's encephalopathy.

Contemplating COVID-19 through disease and death in three short stories by Edgar Allan Poe

“…Given the parallels, readers of Poe's short stories can mull over the current period of crisis and high uncertainty concerning the conniving COVID-19 spread. While several studies have examined Poe and a variety of ailments like tuberculosis (Wilsey, 2012), maritime illness (Gowen, 2019), and neurological diseases (Battle, 2011;Teive et al, 2014), Poe's connection with COVID-19 is hardly discussed. This current research provides answers to this missing link.…”

Deep into that darkness peering: A computational analysis of the role of depression in Edgar Allan Poe's life and death

“…Though Poe was inarguably a prolific author, he was known to have suffered from regular bouts of severe depression (Tomc, 2002). His well-documented propensity towards melancholy and caprice has often been accompanied by accounts of his alcoholism and drug use (Teive, Paola, & Munhoz, 2014). These accounts have implied that Poe had a particularly low tolerance for alcohol, noting that his consumption of it (or withdrawal from it) would intensify his already unpredictable behavior (Marcelo, 2007).…”

“…persistent depressive disorder) or even major depressive disorder is perhaps the most fitting for Poe. Some researchers have speculated that the author experienced mania in addition to his depressive affect and posit that his symptomatology is better represented as a bipolar or cyclothymic disorder (Jamison, 1993;Teive et al, 2014). Gómez (2012) conducted a lexical assessment of Poe's corpus of short stories, characterizing their patterns of linguistic fluctuations to be consistent with mania and depression.…”

As Hopes Have Flown Before: Toward the Rational Design of Treatments for Alcohol Use Disorder

“…In the quote above, Poe poignantly describes the compulsive escapist consumption of alcohol (the term “stimulant” conveyed a different meaning in Poe's day). It has been postulated that Poe died because of heavy drinking, causing him to lapse into an alcoholic hepatic encephalopathy, Wernicke–Korsakoff syndrome, or delirium tremens that proved fatal (1). Whatever the cause of his death, it is well known that he struggled with a descent into the maelstrom of alcoholism.…”