{"id":189,"date":"2026-01-10T10:13:22","date_gmt":"2026-01-10T09:13:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/?p=189"},"modified":"2026-03-13T11:32:05","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T10:32:05","slug":"la-maladie-daddison-quand-votre-hormone-du-stress-decide-de-faire-greve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/language\/fr\/2026\/01\/10\/la-maladie-daddison-quand-votre-hormone-du-stress-decide-de-faire-greve\/","title":{"rendered":"Phineas Gage : l\u2019homme qui a pris l\u2019expression \u00ab \u00e7a me retourne le cerveau \u00bb un peu trop au s\u00e9rieux"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Voici Phineas Gage : 25 ans, contrema\u00eetre de chemin de fer, bosseur, fiable\u2026 et bient\u00f4t le gars qui, sans le vouloir, a spoil\u00e9 tout le champ des neurosciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Le jour o\u00f9 Cavendish a explos\u00e9<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">13 septembre 1848, Cavendish, Vermont. Gage et son \u00e9quipe percent la roche pour poser les rails. Routine : forage, poudre, barre \u00e0 mine. Mais l\u00e0 \u2013 \u00e9tincelle. <em>BOUM.<\/em> La barre traverse sa joue, ressort par le haut du cr\u00e2ne\u2026 et entre directement dans l\u2019histoire de la m\u00e9decine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">N\u2019importe qui d\u2019autre ? Mort. Phineas ? Il se rel\u00e8ve, crache un peu de sang, retourne \u00e0 l\u2019h\u00f4tel en charrette \u00e0 b\u0153ufs et accueille le m\u00e9decin en lui sortant :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u00ab Docteur, voil\u00e0 du boulot pour vous. \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Perdre un bout de cerveau et r\u00e9ussir quand m\u00eame une punchline ? Respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" src=\"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/phineas-gage-mystere-scientifique-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-199\" style=\"width:750px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/phineas-gage-mystere-scientifique-1.jpg 640w, https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/phineas-gage-mystere-scientifique-1-300x169.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sup><strong>Figure 1:<\/strong> <em>Illustration de l&#8217;article de Bigelow \u201cDr. Harlow\u2019s case of recovery from the passage of an iron bar through the head\u201d. Am J Med Sci. 20:13-22 (1850)<\/em><\/sup><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Dr Harlow : l\u2019homme, le mythe, le carnet de notes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Entre en sc\u00e8ne le Dr John Martyn Harlow. M\u00e9decin local, plombier c\u00e9r\u00e9bral \u00e0 mi-temps, preneur de notes \u00e0 plein temps. Premi\u00e8re mission : arr\u00eater l\u2019h\u00e9morragie, retirer les morceaux d\u2019os, et g\u00e9rer le fait qu\u2019un bout de cerveau de Gage est d\u00e9sormais engrais pour les champs du Vermont. Deuxi\u00e8me mission : \u00e9viter l\u2019infection \u2013 sans antibiotiques.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">R\u00e9sultat : il arr\u00eate le sang, enl\u00e8ve les d\u00e9bris, combat l\u2019infection avec les \u00ab m\u00e9dicaments \u00bb du XIXe si\u00e8cle (indice : chlorure mercurique + rhubarbe = empoisonner son patient avec des l\u00e9gumes)\u2026 et sauve carr\u00e9ment la vie de Gage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Mais le vrai superpouvoir de Harlow ? La paperasse. Il note tout : la plaie, la gu\u00e9rison, le fait que Gage marche, parle et r\u00e2le alors qu\u2019il vient de devenir une licorne m\u00e9dicale. Sans ses carnets, Gage aurait fini en anecdote de bistrot. Avec, il est devenu la vitrine des neurosciences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"677\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Phineas_Gage_GageMillerPhoto2010-02-17_Unretouched_Color-677x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-200\" style=\"aspect-ratio:0.6611373397087565;width:745px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Phineas_Gage_GageMillerPhoto2010-02-17_Unretouched_Color-677x1024.jpg 677w, https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Phineas_Gage_GageMillerPhoto2010-02-17_Unretouched_Color-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Phineas_Gage_GageMillerPhoto2010-02-17_Unretouched_Color-768x1161.jpg 768w, https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Phineas_Gage_GageMillerPhoto2010-02-17_Unretouched_Color.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 677px) 100vw, 677px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><sup><strong>Figure 2:<\/strong> <em>Gage prenant la pose avec sa fameuse barre de fer, parce qu\u2019apr\u00e8s tout\u2026 pourquoi pas ? <\/em><\/sup><em><sup>Du &#8220;Gage family of Texas photo collection&#8221;.<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u00ab Ce n\u2019est plus Gage \u00bb<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">La suite : physiquement, \u00e7a va (bon, avaugle \u00e0 gauche, mais vivant). C\u00f4t\u00e9 cognitif : correct. Mais niveau caract\u00e8re ? Catastrophe. L\u2019ancien chef d\u2019\u00e9quipe s\u00e9rieux et sympa devient col\u00e9rique, grossier, ing\u00e9rable. Ses amis : \u00ab Gage n\u2019est plus Gage. \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traduction : quand tu perds ton cortex pr\u00e9frontal, tu perds aussi la petite voix int\u00e9rieure qui dit \u00ab \u00e9vite d\u2019insulter ton patron devant tout le monde \u00bb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Bigelow, Ferrier et l\u2019affaire de la personnalit\u00e9 disparue<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Harlow, dans ses premiers rapports, ne parle pas des changements de personnalit\u00e9. Pourquoi ? Peut-\u00eatre que la bonne soci\u00e9t\u00e9 victorienne n\u2019\u00e9tait pas pr\u00eate \u00e0 lire : \u00ab Mon patient a surv\u00e9cu mais est devenu Deadpool, sans l\u2019humour. \u00bb Alors d\u2019autres m\u00e9decins interviennent. Comme Dr Henry Bigelow (un professeur de Harvard), qui examine Gage en 1850 et conclut : \u00ab Oui, il lui manque un bout de cerveau, mais il va tr\u00e8s bien. Circulez. \u00bb Conclusion : les lobes frontaux ne servent \u00e0 rien, c\u2019est juste le grenier du cr\u00e2ne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Puis arrive David Ferrier, neurologue des ann\u00e9es 1870, fan d\u2019exp\u00e9riences sur les singes. Au d\u00e9but, il est d\u2019accord : Gage prouve que les lobes frontaux ne servent \u00e0 rien. Jusqu\u2019\u00e0 ce qu\u2019il lise enfin le rapport complet de Harlow (1868), o\u00f9 les changements de personnalit\u00e9 apparaissent clairement. Et l\u00e0, Ferrier fait machine arri\u00e8re : \u00ab Ah en fait\u2026 les lobes frontaux, c\u2019est l\u00e0 o\u00f9 vit la personnalit\u00e9. \u00bb R\u00e9trop\u00e9dalage acad\u00e9mique spectaculaire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"939\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Illustration_Gage-1408x1536-1-939x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-202\" srcset=\"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Illustration_Gage-1408x1536-1-939x1024.png 939w, https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Illustration_Gage-1408x1536-1-275x300.png 275w, https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Illustration_Gage-1408x1536-1-768x838.png 768w, https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Illustration_Gage-1408x1536-1.png 1408w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 939px) 100vw, 939px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sub><strong>Figure 3:<\/strong> Bigelow conclut : \u201cPas de cerveau, pas de probl\u00e8me.\u201d, drawing by Karen<\/sub><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>De Cavendish \u00e0 la psychochirurgie<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Le pire ? L\u2019histoire ne s\u2019est pas arr\u00eat\u00e9e aux th\u00e9ories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avan\u00e7ons dans les ann\u00e9es 1890, en Suisse : le chirurgien Burckhardt se dit \u00ab Si ab\u00eemer les lobes frontaux change la personnalit\u00e9, je pourrais le faire expr\u00e8s pour soigner les malades mentaux. \u00bb<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Et voici les ann\u00e9es 1930, \u00e0 Portugal : Egas Moniz transforme l\u2019id\u00e9e en lobotomie frontale\u2026 et rafle un Prix Nobel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Oui, tu as bien lu : un accident de chantier avec une barre de fer a indirectement inspir\u00e9 des d\u00e9cennies de \u00ab traitements \u00bb qui font aujourd\u2019hui dire \u00e0 la m\u00e9decine moderne : \u00ab Wow, \u00e7a a d\u00e9g\u00e9n\u00e9r\u00e9 vite. \u00bb Heureusement, la lobotomie pour les troubles mentaux est aujourd\u2019hui au placard, remplac\u00e9e par des m\u00e9docs nettement plus safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Et Gage dans tout \u00e7a ?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Apr\u00e8s l\u2019accident, il encha\u00eene les boulots, conduit m\u00eame des diligences au Chili (parce que, \u00e9videmment, confier six chevaux et des passagers \u00e0 un gars \u00e0 moiti\u00e9 d\u00e9frontalis\u00e9, c\u2019est logique). Finalement, des crises d\u2019\u00e9pilepsie l\u2019emportent en 1860, 12 and apr\u00e8s l\u2019accident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Des ann\u00e9es plus tard, sa famille fait exhumer son cr\u00e2ne et l\u2019offre \u00e0 Harlow. Aujourd\u2019hui, le cr\u00e2ne et la fameuse barre \u00e0 fer sont expos\u00e9s au Warren Anatomical Museum de Harvard. Gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 Harlow, Gage n\u2019est pas qu\u2019une l\u00e9gende : il est une \u00e9tude de cas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>La le\u00e7on<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qu\u2019est-ce que Phineas Gage nous a appris ? Trois choses :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Le lobe frontal, c\u2019est le service RH du cerveau. Le perdre, c\u2019est perdre ton filtre social.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>La paperasse, c\u2019est vital. Sans les notes de Harlow, Gage serait juste un m\u00e8me m\u00e9dical.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>La science prend des d\u00e9tours : de \u00ab les lobes frontaux ne servent \u00e0 rien \u00bb \u00e0 \u00ab ils g\u00e8rent la personnalit\u00e9 \u00bb \u00e0 \u00ab et si on gu\u00e9rissait la maladie mentale avec un pic \u00e0 glace ? \u00bb et finalement jusqu\u2019\u00e0 la neuropsychologie moderne.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Phineas n\u2019avait pas pr\u00e9vu de devenir la rockstar des neurosciences. Mais gr\u00e2ce \u00e0 un m\u00e9decin t\u00eatu et une barre de fer de presque un m\u00e8tre, il est pass\u00e9 du rail au cerveau \u2013 et a litt\u00e9ralement ouvert la bo\u00eete noire de l\u2019esprit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\"><summary><strong>R\u00e9f\u00e9rences<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Bigelow HJ. Dr. Harlow\u2019s case of recovery from the passage of an iron bar through the head. Am J Med Sci. 20:13-22 (1850). https:\/\/collections.countway.harvard.edu\/onview\/files\/original\/fc61f61c95e9f2d82160a86b1f168664.pdf<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Filho RVT. Phineas Gage\u2019s great lecacy. Dement Neuropsychol 14(4)&nbsp;: 419-421 (2020). Doi&nbsp;: 10.1590\/1980-57642020dn14-040013<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Garc\u00eca-Molina A. Phineas Gage and the enigma of the prefrontal cortex. Neurologia 27(6): 370-375 (2012).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Haas LF. Phineas Gage and the science of brain localisation. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 71(6):761 (2001). Doi: 10.1136\/jnnp.71.6.761<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Harlow JM. Passage of an iron rod through the head. Boston Medical and Surgical Journal. 39:389-393 (1848). Doi: 10.1056\/NEJM184812130392001<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Harlow JM. Recovery from the passage of an iron bar through the head. Publications of the Massachussets Medical Society. 2:327\u201447 (1868) <a href=\"http:\/\/resource.nlm.nih.gov\/66210360R\">http:\/\/resource.nlm.nih.gov\/66210360R<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Sevmez F, Adanir SS, Ince R. Legendary name of Neuroscience: Phineas Gage (1823-1860). Child\u2019s Nervous System 38: 855-856 (2022). Doi: 10.1007\/s00381-020-04595-6<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Voici Phineas Gage : 25 ans, contrema\u00eetre de chemin de fer, bosseur, fiable\u2026 et bient\u00f4t le gars qui, sans le [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[52,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-accident-fr","category-historique"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":204,"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189\/revisions\/204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/49"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/experimenthe-blog.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}