Guillaume Duchenne

Summary

Guillaume Duchenne (1806 - 1875) was a French neurologist.

He investigated the difference between True Smile/ False Smile (see Psychological Apects of Biodanza).

Ideas

• Electrotherapy - Duchenne is considered the father of electrotherapy and used a Duchenne Machine (Induction Coil) to extensively study muscles and paralysis.
• Smiles - He determined that smiles resulting from true happiness contract the Zygomatic muscles of the cheek (raising the corners of the mouth) and the Orbicularis Oculi muscles of the eye (raising the cheeks and forming crow's feet around the eye). The crow's feet indicate that the smile is genuine and that the smiler is truly happy.
  • Later Paul Ekman discovered that a Duchenne Smile (true smile) is accompanied by increased activity in the left prefrontal cortex (the seat of positive emotions).
  • If you put on a Duchenne smile, you can activate your pleasure centers - literally making yourself happy by smiling.
  • A spontaneous smile activates even more reactions than you can access with a voluntary smile.
• Muscular Dystrophy - Duchenne is also credited with the discovery of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.