Table Of ContentPaula Muhr
From Photography to fMRI
Image | Volume 209
Paula Muhr is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for History of Art and
Architecture, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and a visual artist. She stud-
ied visual arts, art history, theory of literature, and physics before receiving her
PhD in visual studies from the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin and a postgrad-
uate diploma in fine arts (Meisterschülerin) from the Hochschule für Grafik und
Buchkunst Leipzig. Her transdisciplinary research is at the intersection of visual
studies, image theory, media studies, science and technology studies (STS), and
history and philosophy of science. She examines knowledge-producing functions
of new imaging and visualisation technologies in natural sciences, ranging from
neuroscience over medicine to physics.
Paula Muhr
From Photography to fMRI
Epistemic Functions of Images in Medical Research on Hysteria
The publication of this work was supported by the Open Access Publication Fund
of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, the Barbara-Wengeler-Stiftung, and the Fa-
culty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Also submitted as doctoral dissertation at the Faculty of Humanities and Social
Sciences, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin.
Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche National-
bibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://
dnb.d-nb.de
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (BY) license, which
means that the text may be remixed, transformed and built upon and be copied and re-
distributed in any medium or format even commercially, provided credit is given to the
author. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Creative Commons license terms for re-use do not apply to any content (such as graphs,
figures, photos, excerpts, etc.) not original to the Open Access publication and further
permission may be required from the rights holder. The obligation to research and clear
permission lies solely with the party re-using the material.
First published in 2022 by transcript Verlag, Bielefeld
© Paula Muhr
Cover layout: Kordula Röckenhaus, Bielefeld
Cover illustration: “Alzheimer’s disease on MRI film” by Attaphon / Adobe Stock
Printed by Majuskel Medienproduktion GmbH, Wetzlar
Print-ISBN 978-3-8376-6176-7
PDF-ISBN 978-3-8394-6176-1
https://doi.org/10.14361/9783839461761
ISSN of series: 2365-1806
eISSN of series: 2702-9557
Printed on permanent acid-free text paper.
Contents
Acknowledgements ........................................................................... 9
Introduction...................................................................................13
1 EpistemicFunctionsofImagesinCharcot’sNeurophysiologicalResearchonHysteria.. 29
1.1 NosographicStage:FromCharcot’sEarlyLecturesonHysteria
toPhotography-DrivenMappingoftheHystericalAttack ................................. 37
1.2 HypnoticExperiments:Image-BasedSearch
fortheNeurophysiologicalBasisofHysteria.............................................. 87
1.3 FromDiagnosistoPathogenesisandTreatment:VisualisingSensorimotor
DeficitsinCasesofTraumaticHystericalParalysis...................................... 136
2 FromDisappearancetoReappearanceofImage-BasedHysteriaResearch .............181
2.1 GradualDismissalofImagesasEpistemicToolsFromHysteriaResearch ................ 185
2.2 ThePutativeDisappearanceofSomaticManifestationsofHysteria .......................219
2.3 TheReappearanceofImage-BasedHysteriaResearch ..................................237
2.4 CurrentNeurologicalReconceptualisationofHysteriathroughfMRIResearch ............ 257
3 UsingfMRIasanInvestigationToolinHysteriaResearch.............................. 275
3.1 ExperimentalSetup:CreatingtheMeasurabilityofHystericalSymptoms..................282
3.2 Measurement:TranslatingtheActiveBrainintoImagingData............................304
3.3 Preprocessing:ConstitutingtheAnalysabilityoffMRIData...............................328
3.4 StatisticalAnalysis:ArticulatingtheTask-InducedNeuralActivityofInterest.............345
3.5 VisualisingFunctionalBrainMaps:AscribingtheSymbolicMeaning......................373
4 fMRI-BasedExploratorySearchfortheNeuralBasisofHystericalSymptoms...........401
4.1 ExaminingHysteria’sRelationshiptoMalingeringandHypnosis...........................406
4.2 ProbingtheNeuralMechanismsbehindthePatients’
SubjectiveExperiencesofTheirSymptoms..............................................432
4.3 ImagingHysteriaPatients’AberrantNeuralProcessing
ofExperimentallyInducedEmotionalStates............................................. 457
4.4 IdentifyingSymptom-RelatedAlterationsintheIntrinsic
DynamicOrganisationofHysteriaPatients’Brains.......................................494
Conclusion..................................................................................537
Glossary.....................................................................................545
Bibliography.................................................................................555
IllustrationCredits..........................................................................609
TomygrandmotherMarija
Acknowledgements
An earlier version of the manuscript for this book was submitted as a doctoral
dissertationattheHumboldt-UniversitätzuBerlin.Whileworkingonthisbook,Iwas
helped,supportedandencouragedbymanypeople.MyprimaryadvisorCharlotteKlonk
offered wise, inspired guidance throughout the entire process. Her kind, steadfast
support and her trust in my work were all the more crucial to me as I came to
academiaindirectly;Iwasapractisingvisualartistwhodevelopedanideaforaresearch
project.Iamparticularlygratefultoherforinstillinginmetheidealsofintellectual
rigourthroughherincisiveandalwaysveryprecisecomments.MysecondadvisorInge
Hinterwaldner helped me in many enjoyable and highly productive discussions that
allowedmetotestmyideasatvariousstagesoftheirdevelopment.Ihavegainedmuch
from her perceptive, probing questions, always kindly formulated, that enabled me
to strengthen,refineand,at times,even rethinkmy initial argumentation.My third
advisor Andreas Ströhle provided constructive, enriching suggestions and insightful
comments. I have benefitted from his open-minded, inspiring interest in a cross-
disciplinary dialogue across medical sciences and the humanities. I am also deeply
indebtedtoTorstenWüstenberg,whoenthusiasticallysupportedmyresearchfromits
startandthroughallitshighsandlows.Overtheyears,ourongoingconversationsabout
various technical, mathematical, and epistemic aspects of functional neuroimaging
havebeeninvaluabletome.Ialsothankhimforallowingmeaccesstohisexperiments
andhisimagingdataandforteachingmehowtousetheSPM12.
Atvariousstagesoftheresearchandwritingprocess,Ihavedrawnonthegenerosity
andinsightofdiversehumanitiesscholars,neuroscientists,andmedicalpractitioners.
I am thankful for supportive feedback, helpful advice and suggestions concerning
content to Horst Bredekamp, Cornelius Borck, Friedrich Tietjen, Matthias Bruhn,
Susanne Holschbach, Michael Zimmermann, Margarete Vöhringer, Sigrid Weigel,
JoachimHasebrook,andGerritFröhlich.Thankyoutomyfellowgraduatestudentsat
theInstituteofArtandVisualHistoryattheHumboldt-UniversitätzuBerlinandatthe
InstituteforHistoryofArtandArchitectureattheKarlsruherInstitutfürTechnologie
(KIT)forthestimulatingdiscussionsofourresearchtopics,friendlyconversations,and
collegiality. I especially want to express my gratitude to neuroscientists and clinical
researcherswhowillinglyansweredmyquestions,agreedtointerviews,andhelpedme
