Renowned neurologist Oliver Sacks dies at 82

Renowned neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks, who explored the mysteries of the human brain in a series of best-selling books, died Sunday, August 30, at age 82, the New York Times reported. Sacks’ longtime personal assistant, Kate Edgar, told the Times he died at his home in New York after a battle with cancer. Sacks was the author of the 1973 book “Awakenings,” which detailed his real-life experience with patients who suffered from a condition known as encephalitis lethargica, and how they were able to exit – however briefly – from their catatonic states with the aid of a drug. The story was adapted into a 1990 Oscar-nominated film of the same name starring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro.

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