The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."
This volume in the Progress in Brain Research series features reviews on the functional neuroanatomy and connectivity of the brain areas involved in controlling eye movements. Oculomotor control of the eyes is now the subject of many research projects and advances in this field are relevant to understanding motor control in general.
Newly revised and updated, A Textbook of Neuroanatomy, Second Edition is a concise text designed to help students easily master the anatomy and basic physiology of the nervous system. Accessible and clear, the book highlights interrelationships between systems, structures, and the rest of the body as the chapters move through the various regions of the brain. Building on the solid foundation of the first edition, A Textbook of Neuroanatomy now includes two new chapters on the brainstem and reflexes, as well as dozens of new micrographs illustrating key structures. Throughout the book the clinical relevance of the material is emphasized through clinical cases, questions, and follow-up discussions in each chapter, motivating students to learn the information. A companion website is also available, featuring study aids and artwork from the book as PowerPoint slides. A Textbook of Neuroanatomy, Second Edition is an invaluable resource for students of general, clinical and behavioral neuroscience and neuroanatomy.
Fully updated and revised according to student feedback, the sixth edition of Mayo Clinic Medical Neurosciences: Organized by Neurologic System and Level provides a systematic approach to anatomy, physiology, and pathology of the nervous system inspired by the neurologist's approach to solving clinical problems. This volume has 4 sections: 1) an overview of the neurosciences necessary for understanding anatomical localization and pathophysiologic characterization of neurologic disorders; 2) an approach to localizing lesions in the 7 longitudinal systems of the nervous system; 3) an approach to localizing lesions in the 4 horizontal levels of the nervous system; and 4) a collection of clinical problems. This book provides the neuroscience framework to support the neurologist in a clinical setting and is also a great resource for neurology and psychiatry board certifications. This is the perfect guide for all medical students and neurology, psychiatry, and physical medicine residents at early stages of training. New to This Edition - A chapter devoted to multiple-choice questions for self-assessment - Discussion of emerging concepts in molecular, cellular, and system neurosciences - New chapters on emotion and consciousness systems - Incorporation of new discoveries in neuroimaging and an appendix for tables of medications commonly used to treat neurologic disorders
A concise overview of neuroanatomy and its functional and clinical implications. Includes an excellent review for the USMLE, as well as cases and a practice exam.
The hippocampus is one of the most intriguing structures of the human brain. Damage to this part causes symptoms ranging from transient disorders accompanied by tiny lesions to severely debilitating cognitive disorders with marked tissue loss. This publication provides a predominantly clinical approach to the complex workings of the hippocampus from different perspectives, ranging from basic principles to specific diseases. The first part of the book summarizes current knowledge regarding the structure and physiology of the hippocampus and establishes the ties to basic neuroscience. The second part deals with the function and assessment of the human hippocampus, including memory function, neuropsychological measures, and conventional and functional imaging studies. The chapters of the third part are devoted to the hippocampus in neurological disorders, e.g. the interaction between stress and memory function, and the pathological conditions of common as well as selected rare neurological diseases affecting the hippocampus. The book is highly recommended to clinical neurologists who wish to gain a broad understanding of this complex and fascinating organ in terms of basic principles, modern imaging findings, and specific diseases.
This work had its inception in 1945 when C. and O. Vogt suggested to one of us (J.O.) the need for investigation of the reticular formation of the brain stem. The Vogts felt that their studies of the extrapyramidal diseases, limited to an investigation of the basal ganglia, had illuminated only one aspect of the problem. In their opinion thorough knowledge of the morphological and functional organization of the reticular formation was indispensable for the understanding of the regulation and co-ordination of motor activity by the extraphyramidal systems. Accordingly, a study of the normal cytoarchitecture of the reticular formation was commenced at the Brain Research Institute, Neustadt, with the intention of applying this knowledge in the investigation of pathological material at a later date. For various reasons this work was interrupted for a period of several years, and it was not until 1952 that it was resumed at the Montreal Neurological Institute. It soon became apparent that it was advisable to extend the scope of the project to include the cytoarchitecture of all the gray masses of the lower brain stem. This conclusion was based largely on the lack of precise definition of the boundaries of the reticular formation and the insufficient data available concerning the cytoarchitecture of many nonreticular nuclei. At the present time the most comprehensive descriptions of the cytoarchitecture of the human brain stem are to be found in Jacobsohn's Uber die Kerne des menschlichen Hirnstamms " (1909) and in Ziehen's "Anatomie des Centralnervensystems" (1933). Jacobsohn's widely utilized drawings of cross sections of the brain stem constitute the most accurate guide at present available for delineation of the various nuclear masses. These drawings are necessarily overschematized due to their small size, and neither they nor the descriptions of nclei are supplemented by photomicrographs. Ziehen's exhaustive description of the cyto- and myeloarchitecture and fiber connections of the brain stem, supplemented by an extensive bibliography, suffers from the lack of representative serial cross sections stained for nerve cells. In addition the photomicrographs presented are limited to a few myelin stained preparations. Marburg devotes a considerable part of his atlas to the description of the cytoarchitecture of the human brain stem, but presents only five schematicrepresentationn of Nissl stained cross sections and includes no photomicrographs of this region. More cyoarchitectural detail of various regions of the human brain stem may be found in the monographs of Gagel and Bodechtal (1930), Stern (1936) and Crosby and Woodburne (1943), all of which are illustrated by excellent photomicrographs. Riley's "Atlas of the Basal Ganglia, Brain Stem and Spinal Cord" (1943), Although not directly concerned with cytoarchitecture, should be mentioned as an invaluable guide to any student of these regions. Apart from these comprehensive reviews, innumerable other investigators have confined their studies to the anatomy of individual brain stem nuclei. The presents work is an attempt to portray adequately and objectively the cytoarchitecture of all the nuclear structures of the medulla oblongata, pons and midbrain. In addition to the presentation of formerly recognized nuclei, several previously undescribed cell groups have been delineated on the basis of cytoarchitectonic criteria. The majority of these lie within the reticular formation. The contents of the monograph fall naturally into two parts. The first consists of a series of nineteen semischematic representative cross sections of the brain, stem, accompanied by low power photomicrographs. Descriptions of the individual nuclei, supplemented by photomicrographs of higher magnifications, compose the second part. It is hoped that this atlas will prove of value to the neuroanatomist who is interested in the position and morphology of the individual nuclei, and to the neuropathologist in his attempts to localize pathological processes and to distinguish abnormal cell forms from the confusing array of morphologically different normal cells found within various regions of the brain stem. Further, the neurophysiologist may find it useful to have available detailed human morphological data which can be correlated with that of experimental animals, and with which his functional concepts may be integrated.
