Echoes of La Salpêtrière in Tamil Soil: Mapping Male Hysteria from Charcot’s Clinic to Padugalam’s Stage (P6-20.009)

Ilaiyabharathi Thulasimani; Aishwarya Jaikrishnan; M Nirumal Khumar; Isha Senthil Velmurugan; Shrimahitha Duraiyarasan; Sai Kumar Reddy Pasya

doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000217823

June 9, 2026Neurology

Echoes of La Salpêtrière in Tamil Soil: Mapping Male Hysteria from Charcot’s Clinic to Padugalam’s Stage (P6-20.009)

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Key Points

This research examines the historical and cultural evolution of male hysteria from its origins in neurology to contemporary expressions.
Tracing the roots of male hysteria from 19th-century neurology.
Investigating the cultural practice of Padugalam in Tamil Nadu as a manifestation of this disorder.
Identified historical links between Charcot’s clinic and modern representations of male hysteria.
Demonstrated how Padugalam serves as a culturally specific expression of functional neurological disorder.

Implication

Explores neurohistorical evolution of male hysteria and its cultural expression in Tamil Nadu, indicating a significant interrelation.

Abstract

We aim to explore the neurohistorical evolution of male hysteria, tracing its origins in 19th-century neurology through to its contemporary ritual expressions, and to investigate the age-old tradition of Padugalam of Tamil Nadu, India as a culturally framed manifestation of collective functional neurological disorder.

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Cite This Study

Thulasimani et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a2cf32afaef96ed7f055b98 https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000217823

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Echoes of La Salpêtrière in Tamil Soil: Mapping Male Hysteria from Charcot’s Clinic to Padugalam’s Stage (P6-20.009)

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

Echoes of La Salpêtrière in Tamil Soil: Mapping Male Hysteria from Charcot’s Clinic to Padugalam’s Stage (P6-20.009)

Key Points

Implication

Abstract

Discussion

Cite This Study

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