Giuseppe Dagnini (1866–1928): Discoverer of the Trigemino-Cardiac Reflex and Practical Implications in Neurosurgery and Other Medical Specialties

The authors present the life and art of Giuseppe Dagnini, a renowned Italian physician who was born in Bologna in 1866. He was the chief of the Maggiore Hospital in Bologna and authored valuable scientific works on the trigemino-cardiac reflex which is still applied in modern clinical practice. Dr. Dagnini firstly described the reflex in 1908 postulating that stimulation of one of the 3 branches of the trigeminal nerve triggers the afferent pathway in lowering heart rate. The authors also provide a modern outlook on the clinical implications of the TCR in neurosurgery, neuroanesthesia, and other medical specialties.