Economo

Economo is a surname of Italian origin. The name is most prominently associated with Constantin von Economo, an Austrian physician whose work significantly influenced neurology and brain anatomy.

Constantin von Economo (1876–1931) studied medicine in Vienna and built a distinguished career at the University of Vienna. In 1917 he described encephalitis lethargica, a distinctive neurological illness that became widely known as von Economo encephalitis. His observations contributed to the understanding of the clinical spectrum of infectious and inflammatory brain disease and spurred further research in neuroinflammation.

In addition to his work on encephalitis, von Economo is associated with the identification of large spindle-shaped neurons in the human cortex, now commonly referred to as von Economo neurons (VENs). Found in the anterior cingulate cortex and fronto-insular cortex, VENs are relatively rare and have been studied for potential roles in social cognition, rapid intuitive decision-making, and empathy. Research on VENs spans humans and some large-brained mammals; their exact functions remain a topic of ongoing investigation.

Outside of Constantin von Economo, the surname Economo is borne by other individuals of Italian heritage, though none have achieved the same historical prominence in public references. Today, the term Economo is most closely associated with neuroscience through von Economo’s early 20th-century work.