Clinical Direction in Evolutionary Physiology

In May 2002, there was the 85-anniversary of Lev Yakovlevich Balonov, a prominent Russian physiologist who worked in the field of functional evolution of human higher nervous functions. In this connection, our Journal publishes for the first time the lecture of Lev Yakovlevich delivered in 1976 at the Session of the Research Council of Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry and kept up to now only as tape recording. The lecture exposed result of the almost 30-year-long clinical-experimental studies of the Laboratory of Functional Specialization of Cerebral Hemispheres founded in 1948 by Natal'ya Nikolaevna Traugott on initiative of Leon Abgarovich Orbeli. L.Ya. Balonov was working at this Laboratory since its foundation till 1983 (since 1973, as its head). This lecture formulates some not yet out-dated principles, conclusions, and concepts on many problems of functional evolution of human higher nervous functions. The text of the lecture is slightly revised, as the figures mentioned in it have not been retained.