Table Of ContentNoback’s Human Nervous System,
Seventh Edition
Norman L. Strominger
Robert J. Demarest (cid:129) Lois B. Laemle
Noback’s Human
Nervous System,
Seventh Edition
Structure and Function
Norman L. Strominger Robert J. Demarest
Center for Neuropharmacology and Highview Terrace 87
Neuroscience Hawthorne, NJ, USA
The Albany Medical College
Albany, NY, USA
Lois B. Laemle
Department of Ophthalmology and
Visual Science
University of Medicine & Dentistry of
New Jersey
New Jersey Medical School
Newark, NJ, USA
ISBN 978-1-61779-778-1 ISBN 978-1-61779-779-8 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-61779-779-8
Springer New York Heidelberg Dordrecht London
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012935491
© Springer Science+Business Media New York 2012
1st edition: © McGraw-Hill, 1975
2nd edition: © McGraw-Hill, 1977
3rd edition: © McGraw-Hill, 1981
4th edition: © Lea & Febiger, 1991
5th edition: © Williams & Wilkins, 1996
6th edition: © Humana Press, 2005
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In Memoriam, Charles R. Noback 1916–2009
Charles R. Noback was an esteemed member of the faculty of the College of
Physicians & Surgeons of Columbia University for 37 years, continuing as
professor emeritus from 1986 until his death in February 2009. He received an
undergraduate degree from Cornell University where he was a proud member
of the rowing team. He was awarded a master’s degree from New York
University and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in 1942. Between
1942 and 1949 he served on the faculties of the University of Georgia Medical
School and Long Island College of Medicine. Dr. Noback joined the
Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at Columbia University, College of
Physicians & Surgeons, in 1949 and was elevated to full professor in 1968. He
is known for his scienti fi c contributions in the fi elds of developmental and
comparative anatomy, the evolution of the vertebrate nervous system, the
growth and maturation of the human brain, and the primate visual system.
Charlie’s most salient character trait was his intense and broad intellectual
curiosity in all things, medical and beyond. One of his greatest joys was con-
tact with students. His extensive knowledge base enabled him to teach all
major disciplines: neuroanatomy, microscopic anatomy, and gross anatomy,
v
vi Dedication
to medical, dental, and graduate students, as well as to occupational and physical therapy students.
A lifelong student himself, he tirelessly attended seminars and had the ability to home in on and
assimilate the critical points of each. With his razor sharp intellect, he often thought faster than he
could speak, to the delight and sometimes confusion of his students. His colleagues remember him as
a devoted friend and mentor—a regular guy, accessible, caring, and supportive.
He was the author of more than 100 articles and books and the recipient of numerous awards
including the James Arthur Lectureship of the Evolution of the Human Brain at the American Museum
of Natural History, the Visiting Scientists program of the National Institutes of Health, and the
Physicians and Surgeons Distinguished Service Award at Columbia University.
His book, The Human Nervous System, has been a standard text for many decades and has been
translated into multiple languages. His coauthors are privileged to carry his banner forward in this
new edition.
Norman L. Strominger
Robert J. Demarest
Lois B. Laemle
Preface
The present edition represents the combined efforts of two neuroscientists
and a medical illustrator to succinctly present the fundamental principles of
the organization, structure, and function of the human nervous system.
The book is intended to meet the basic needs primarily of (1) medical and
dental students who want a general overview of this discipline and for board
review, (2) students in the allied health sciences and psychology who need an
introductory yet reasonably comprehensive survey of the subject, (3) resi-
dents in neurology, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology who wish to review
this subject matter, and (4) readers with a background in biology who want to
gain an understanding of the human nervous system.
The text is designed so that the student who is fi rst exposed to neurosci-
ence can obtain an organized view of the bewilderingly complex human ner-
vous system. The illustrations have been speci fi cally prepared for this book to
simplify and clarify items in the text. Clinical correlations and relevant symp-
toms from lesions are integrated in the text to elucidate important features of
the substrate of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous system. Two
chapters speci fi cally deal with L esions of the Spinal Nerves and Spinal Cord
and Lesions of the Brainstem. Each chapter contains a list of selected refer-
ences as a guide to readers who wish to pursue topics in greater detail. It is
anticipated that students who wish further information on speci fi c areas will
use the references as a starting point for online searches that can be aug-
mented via the Internet, particularly through pubmed ( w ww.ncbi.nim.nih.
gov/pubmed ).
Several chapters have been substantially revised. These include
Development and Growth, Blood Circulation and Imaging, Cranial Nerves
and Chemical Senses, Auditory and Vestibular System and Visual System.
The section on Imaging in Chapter 4 is new. In Chapter 2 5 , Cerebral Cortex,
the discussion of memory has been expanded. Major changes involve the
illustrations. Many of the existing fi gures have been modi fi ed and/or enhanced
by the addition of color. Ten new fi gures have been added.
We wish to thank numerous students and colleagues for their many invalu-
able comments and input. First and foremost we thank Dr. Joe Rozell (MD
AMC 2011) who patiently and expertly added color and otherwise modi fi ed
almost all of the original illustrations drawn by Robert J. Demarest. In addi-
tion, Dr. Rozell added many signi fi cant insights that were incorporated into
the book.
vii
viii Preface
We would also like to thank Drs. Krystal Archer-Arroyo, W. Michael
King, Russell Ferland, Adele, Robert and Mitchell Strominger, Tara Lindsley,
and Charles Kite for their comments and efforts on our behalf. We thank
Dr. David Carpenter for his many courtesies and encouragement.
We express appreciation to the people at Springer for their patience and
good will. It has been a pleasure working with them.
Albany, NY, USA Norman L. Strominger
Hawthorne, NJ, USA Robert J. Demarest
Newark, NJ, USA Lois B. Laemle
Introduction
Introduction and Terminology
Most students feel a baf fl ing uncertainty when beginning the study of neuro-
anatomy. Not until many of the facets of the subject blend in the latter half of
the course, do they feel in control over the material. To ameliorate the uncer-
tain feeling, the text and fi gures in the fi rst fi ve chapters (especially Chapter 1 )
should be perused for a general understanding only, then used later for refer-
ence. Chapters 8 through 1 3 give basic information about pathway systems as
well as background knowledge for the remaining chapters in the book.
It deserves mention that the nervous system functions together with the
endocrine system in harmonizing the many complex activities of the body.
The former is a rapid coordinator, whereas the latter is more deliberate in its
action.
Divisions of the Nervous System
The nervous system essentially exhibits a bilateral symmetry with those
structural features and pathways located on one side of the midline also found
on the other side. It is subdivided (1) anatomically into the c entral nervous
system and the p eripheral nervous system and (2) functionally into the s omatic
nervous system and the autonomic (visceral) nervous system .
The c entral nervous system (CNS) comprises the brain and spinal cord.
The brain is encapsulated within the skull and the spinal cord is at the center
of the vertebral column. The p eripheral nervous system (PNS) consists of the
nerves emerging from the brain (called cranial nerves) and from the spinal
cord (called spinal nerves). The peripheral nerves convey neural messages (1)
from the sense organs and sensory receptors in the organism inward to the
CNS and (2) from the CNS outward to the muscles and glands of the body.
The s omatic nervous system consists of those neural structures of the CNS
and PNS responsible for (1) conveying and processing conscious and uncon-
scious sensory (a fferent ) information, vision, pain, touch, unconscious mus-
cle sense from the head, body wall, and extremities to the CNS and (2) motor
(e fferent ) control of the voluntary (striated) muscles. The autonomic nervous
system is composed of the neural structures responsible for (1) conveying and
processing sensory input from the visceral organs (e.g., digestive system and
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