The human brainstem has long been a neglected area in clinical medicine. This is shown by the fact that there is no introductory book on the neuroanatomy and pathology of this region. This book is intended to introduce the reader to the neuroanatomy of the human brainstem and combines an atlas with detailed information on the individual structures. The atlas features a state-of-the-art magnetic resonance imaging series, histological specimens (Darrow Red and Campbell staining) and a plastinate-based topographical part, which allows direct comparison of histological and topographical findings with neuroimaging. In addition, the reader is guided along the brainstem neuromer model through the human brainstem and learns about the functional properties of the individual structures of the brainstem. Where appropriate, peripheral targets of brainstem structures are illustrated and explained. Furthermore, each chapter covers the most important neurological disorders affecting the brainstem. This book aims to demonstrate that sound anatomical knowledge is required to understand brainstem pathology. It will particularly help those new to the field to better understand the complex anatomy of the human brainstem and will be useful to basic and clinical neuroscientists alike.

This atlas instills a solid knowledge of anatomy by correlating thin-section brain anatomy with corresponding clinical magnetic resonance images in axial, coronal, and sagittal planes. The authors correlate advanced neuromelanin imaging, susceptibility-weighted imaging, and diffusion tensor tractography with clinical 3 and 4 T MRI. Each brain stem region is then analyzed with 9.4 T MRI to show the anatomy of the medulla, pons, midbrain, and portions of the diencephalonin with an in-plane resolution comparable to myelin- and Nissl-stained light microscopy. The book’s carefully organized diagrams and images teach with a minimum of text.

Human Brainstem: Cytoarchitecture, Chemoarchitecture, Myeloarchitecture explores how the human brainstem has been impeded by the unavailability of an up-to-date, comprehensive, diagrammatic and photographic atlas. Now, with the first detailed atlas on the human brainstem in more than twenty years, this book presents an accurate, comprehensive and convenient reference for students, researchers and pathologists. - Presents the first detailed atlas on the human brainstem in more than twenty years - Represents all areas of the medulla, pons and midbrain in the plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the brainstem - Consists of 63 plates and 63 accompanying diagrams with an interplate distance of one millimeter - Includes photographs of Nissl and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) stained sections at alternate levels - Provides an accurate and convenient guide for students, researchers and pathologists

This study of the brain stem and the cerebellum is the sequel to a previous study of the brain (cerebral hemispheres and diencephalon) [82]. The brain stem and cerebellum are dealt with here for the same purpose as was the brain in the previous work, i.e., to reach, step by step, knowledge that is comprehensive enough for an understanding of an atlas of sections and its clinical use. Following a brief survey of the methods used, the first chapter describes the brain stem and cerebellum surfaces as well as their location in the posterior cranial fossa. The second and the third chapter, respectively, describe the brain stem and cerebellum structures followed by brief surveys of their functions, enabling the reader to obtain an introductory view of the role of both the nuclei and fasciculi. The fourth chapter studies the brain stem vascular network in detail. Thus, this chapter sums up the results of research on brainstem superficial blood vessels and their intra nervous territories that were already presented in two previous works [79, 80]. By contrast, presentation of the cerebellar vascularization follows the previous literature.

It was when the author of this book was working in the Department of Human Anatomy at Oxford University that Prof. W.E. Le Gros Clark encouraged him to study the vascularization of the brain. Le Gros Clark, who has an international reputation for his research on the diencephalon, may thus be regarded as one of the initiators of this investigation. The prese!1t work is born of the happy coinicidence of a number of circumstances, namely, the author's possessing detailed anatomic knowledge and suitable techniques of carrying on research, and present the results, great patience, inventiveness and a special talent for dealing with highly complex material. It is necessary to know all this in order to understand how the author of this monograph was in the position to do such painstakingly detailed research on a subject of extreme complexity and to present it here in graphic and written form. The atlas fills a long felt want among neurosurgeons and researches in neuroana tomy as regards both the form and position of the nuclei and fiber tracts of the upper brain stem and the type and arrangement of its finer vascularization.

Compared to its predecessor, this new edition also includes figures relating to the superficial venous network of the brain stem, thus giving readers a more precise and complete view of the superficial brainstem vessels. It also includes a special study on the pineal or collicular region and a correlation between the vascular territories and MRI views of brainstem vascular diseases. The book provides a complete view of the vascularization of the brainstem in humans including the arteries, veins and capillary network, for the study of brainstem pathology.

The brainstem is one of the least understood parts of the human brain despite its prime importance for the maintenance of basic vital functions. Owing to its role as a relay station between spinal cord, cerebellum and neocortex, the brainstem contains vital nodes of all functional systems in the central nervous system, including the visual, auditory, gustatory, vestibular, somatic and visceral senses, and the somatomotor as well as autonomic nervous systems. While the brainstem has been extensively studied in animals using invasive methods, human studies remain scarce. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a non-invasive and widely available method is one possibility to access the brainstem in humans and measure its structure as well as function. The close vicinity of the brainstem to large arteries and ventricles and the small size of the anatomical structures, however, place high demands on imaging as well as data analysis methods. Nevertheless, the field of brainstem-(f)MRI has significantly advanced in the past few years, largely due to the development of several new tools that facilitate studying this critical part of the human brain. Within this scope, the goal of this Research Topic is to compile work representing the state of the art in functional and structural MRI of the human brainstem.