Grigory Ivanovich Rossolimo

Grigory Ivanovich Rossolimo ( _ru. Григо́рий Ива́нович Россоли́мо) (OldStyleDate|December 17|1860|December 5 - September 1928) was a Russian neurologist who was a native of Odessa. (He was of Greek origin; his grandfather had gone sailing from Kefalonia as a young man, been shipwrecked, and washed up near Odessa, where he remained. [ [http://www.psy.msu.ru/people/rossolimo.html MGU biography page] ] ) He specialized in the field of child neuropsychology.

In 1884 he graduated from the University of Moscow, and subsequently worked under Aleksei Kozhevnikov (1836-1902) at the clinic of neurological diseases. He earned his medical doctorate in 1887, and in 1890 became head of the department of neurology at the clinic of Aleksei Alekseevich Ostroumov (1844-1908).

In 1911, along with other academic personnel at the University of Moscow, he resigned in protest against reactionary reforms installed by the minister of education. Afterwards, he opened his own institute of neurology and child psychology. In 1917 he returned to the university, and attained the chair of neuropathology. In this position he established a department for child psycho-neurology and "defectology".

Rossolimo is remembered for his work in experimental psychology, which included the development of psychological profiles. A particular study of his involved grouping children according to psycho-physiological characteristics and anomalies. He was also co-founder of the "Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry", which was named in honor of Sergei Sergeievich Korsakoff (1853-1900).

* Associated eponym:"Rossolimo's reflex": Exaggerated flexion of the toes in response to percussion of the plantar surface of the second to fifth toes, and is indicative of lesions of the pyramidal tract.

References

* [http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/18.html "Grigorii Ivanovich Rossolimo"] @ Who Named It
* "The collected works of L.S. Vygotsky", Vol. 2, p. 315 (brief bio in footnote).