The contribution of J. H. Jackson to present-day epileptology.

Contributions made by John Hughlings Jackson (1835-1911) to today's epileptology are unparalleled, and what he did has still not been reevaluated. We divide his contributions into three themes: (a) He began his research with the seizures later named jacksonian seizures. Through his research, Jackson established a revolutionary definition quite similar to our contemporary definition of epilepsy. The first step was made to the neurosurgical treatment for epilepsy through his research. (b) He elucidated the mechanism of postepileptic psychosis by his theory of evolution-dissolution and positive-negative symptoms, later called jacksonism. (c) His encounter with his patient, Dr. Z, helped him to establish his idea of dreamy state, eventually leading to the concept of temporal lobe epilepsy.