Table Of ContentR. Nieuwenhuys J. Voogd
Chr.van Huijzen
The Human
Central Nervous System
A Synopsis and Atlas
Second Revised Edition
With 154 Figures
Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg GmbH
RUDOLF NIEUWENHUYS, M.D.
Professor of Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy,
University of Nijmegen, The Netherlands
JAN VOOGD, M.D.
Professor of Neuroanatomy, Department of Anatomy,
University of Leiden, The Netherlands and
Department of Anatomy, Free University of Brussels (V.U.B.),
Belgium
CHRISTIAAN VAN HUIJZEN
Medical artist, Department of Anatomy, University of Nijmegen,
The Netherlands
ISBN 978-3-540-10316-5 ISBN 978-3-662-02333-4 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-3-662-02333-4
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data. NIEUWENHUYS, R. 1927- The human central nervous
system. Bibliography: p. . Includes index.!. Central nervous system-Atlases. 2. Histology-Atlases. 3. Neuroanatomy
Atlases. I. VOOGD, J., joint author. 11. HUlJZEN, CHR. VAN, joint author. III. Title. [DNLM: 1. Central nervous
system-Anatomy and histology-Atlases. WLl7 N682h] QM455.N48 1980612'.82'0222 80 -23070
This work is subjected to copyright. All rights are reserved, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned,
specifically those of translation, reprinting, re-use of illustrations, broadcasting, reproduction by photocopying machine
or similar me ans, and storage in data banks.
Under §54 of the German Law where copies are made for other than private use, a fee is payable to 'Verwertungs
gesellschaft Wort', Munich.
© by Springer-Verlag Berlin-Heidelberg 1978. 1981
Originally published by Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg New York in 1981
The use of registered names, trademarks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific
statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective la ws and regulations and therefore free for
general use.
Reproduction of figures: Gustav Dreher GmbH, Stuttgart
2121/3130-543210
Preface to the Second Edition
The particularly good reception enjoyed by our "The Human Central Ner
vous System, a Synopsis and Atlas" has made a second edition necessary,
hardly more than two years after its first appearance: This new edition
enabled us to make a number of corrections, but it was judged premature
to undertake a thorough updating of the text. However, a major improvement
- suggested by some reviewers and many colleagues - is that in this new
edition the abbreviations in the figures have been replaced by the full Latin
terms.
We want to emphasize that the study of this book can facilitate and deepen
but never replace the study of the anatomical preparation. Acquaintance
with the basic cytology and histology of nervous tissue has been taken for
granted.
This book is evidently often consulted with the aim of looking up a particular
structure together with its name and its topographical relations. This is cer
tainly one of the purposes of the book. We are, however, of the opinion
that during a systematic study of the figures showing the functional systems
in part IV, perusal of the accompanying text will be necessary. As a matter
of fact the spatial representations of the fibre systems are no more than a
visualization of the most salient features discussed in the text. The pictures
are so to speak a snapshot of the current knowledge of a particular functional
system within the central nervous system; no less, but no more either. The
mutual coherence between the pictures in the macroscopical, microscopical
and functional sections of the book, will be readily apparent during the
use of the work. The authors hope that for the readers this coherence will
lead to a better insight into the structure of the human central nervous
system.
Spring 1981 R. N IEUWENHUYS
J. VOOGD
CHR. vAN H UIJZEN
Contents
Introduction
Purpose and Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Material, Techniques, and Preparation of the Illustrations 1
Annotations . . . . . . . 3
Terminology and Labelling . 3
Acknowledgements 3
Part I Gross Anatomy
Orientation . . . . . . 6
External and Medial Views 10
Internal Structures 27
Part II Brain Slices
Coronal Sections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Sections Perpendicular to the Axis of the Brain Stem 47
Sagittal Sections 52
Horizontal Sections . . . . . . 57
Part III Microscopical Sections
Coronal Sections Through the Basal Part of the Prosencephalon . 64
Transverse Sections Through the Brain Stem and Spinal Cord . 72
Part IV Functional Systems
Cranial Nerve Nuclei in the Brain Stem 112
General Sensory Systems and Taste 117
The Anterolateral System. . . 117
The Medial Lemniscus System 118
The Trigeminal System. . . . 118
The Visceral Afferent Systems. 119
Special Sensory Systems 128
The Vestibular System 128
The Auditory System 129
The Visual System. . 131
Ascending Reticular System. 146
The Reticular Formation . 146
Ascending Reticular Pathways 147
Cerebellum . . . . . . . . . . 153
VIII Contents
Thalamocortical and Corticothalamic Connections . 163
Motor Systems . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Long Corticofugal Pathways . . . . 169
The So-called Extrapyramidal System 170
Descending Reticular Systems. . . . . 181
Descending Pathways and the Medial Reticular Formation 183
Descending Pathways and the Lateral Reticular Formation 181
Olfactory and Limbic Systems. . . . . . . . . 185
Long Association and Commissural Connections 216
Monoamine Neuron Systems . . . . . . . 221
Dopaminergic Cell Groups and Pathways. 221
Nor adrenergic Cell Groups and Pathways 222
Serotonergic Cell Groups and Pathways 224
References . 231
Subject Index 243
Introduction
Purpose and Plan This atlas, though primarily intended for
medical students, may also be expected to
This atlas has been designed with the object be useful as a quick pictorial review for
of providing a comprehensive pictorial practitioners in the various neurological
survey of the macroscopic and microscopic sc1ences.
structure of the human central nervous sys-
tem.
The pictorial material encompasses 154 Material, Techniques, and Preparation
half-tone and line drawings, all derived of the Illustrations
from original macroscopic and microscopic
preparations. Considerable thought has The gross anatomical section of this atlas
been given in the preparation of these draw is based on eight brains and one spinal cord
ings to an optimal combination of clarity of adult individuals with no record of neu
and exactness. Moreover great pains have rological diseases. These specimens were
been taken to achieve a maximal coherence fixed for at least two months in formalin.
of thematically related figures. The illustra One specimen was used for the illustrations
tions are arranged in four sections. The first showing the external morphology. This
section depicts the gross appearance and brain was then serially sliced into 2-mm
three-dimensional structure of the brain thick sections in the coronal plane. Three
and spinal cord. The second section in other brains were sliced in the three other
cludes drawings of a number of whole brain conventional planes: sagittal, horizontal
slices, sectioned in four different directions. and perpendicular to the axis of the brain
The third section consists of a carefully stem. The serial slices thus obtained were
selected series of 25 microscopic sections employed in the preparation of various
through the spinal cord, brain stem and graphical and three-dimensional recon
basal prosencephalon. In these sections the structions. The latter were made from 4-
fibre systems are shown on the right and mm-thick styrofoam sheets. The remaining
the cell masses on the left side. The final four brains wer~ dissected in a number of
section integrates and amplifies the data ways. All of the figures in this section show
presented in the preceding sections. The ing features of the internal configuration
central nervous system is divided here into of the brain are based on reconstructions
eleven functional systems and the interrela or dissections or both. Therefore, in these
tionships of the centres and fibre paths be figures the size, shape and spatial relation
longing to each of these systems are ships of the structures revealed are re
depicted and briefly described. Emphasis produced with great exactitude.
has been laid on aspects of clinical signifi The brain slices that constitute the second
cance. section of this atlas were selected from the
2 Introduction
four series of slices already mentioned. The at a magnification ten times that of the
brains were embedded in gelatin and sliced section as a whole.
on a rotary-blade commercial meat slicer. The sections through the brain stem and
Due to the elasticity of the large gelatin the spinal cord are based on Nissl and
blocks we experienced initially considerable Haggqvist material. The latter technique
difficulties in maintaining the intended was selected for the analysis of the white
plane of sectioning throughout a series. matter, because it shows both the axon and
However, this problem was ingeniously the myelin sheath of the individual nerve
solved by Mr. A. BINNENDIJK, our labo fibres in contrasting colours. Neuronal so
ratory assistant, by embedding the brains mata can also be observed in Haggqvist
in boxes, prepared from styrofoam plates, material, though with less distinctness than
and by subsequently slicing the brains while in Nissl sections. The procedure followed
still encased in the surrounding box. This in the preparation of the drawings involved
procedure yielded perfect, well-oriented, the following sequence of steps:
continuous series of slices. 1) Haggqvist sections of the levels to be
The microscopical sections that comprise depicted were selected.
the third section were all drawn from origi 2) With the aid of a photographic enlarger
nal preparations. The sections through the negative photographic prints of these sec
basal prosencephalon are based on one of tions with a magnification of seven diame
the excellent Weigert-Pal series which the ters were made.
late Professor G. }ELGERSMA employed for 3) Under microscopic control the various
his Atlas Anatomicum Cerebri Humani areas of grey and white matter were delin
[114] and on a series of Kluver-Barrera eated on the photographs. In this way out
preparations. The procedure was as fol line drawings for the final figures were ob
lows. Seven sections were selected from the tained.
Weigert-Pal series. From these sections out 4) The fibre composition and the fibre pat
line drawings were prepared at a magnifica tern of the various tracts and more diffuse
tion of four diameters in which the position areas of white matter were analysed; the
of the fibre systems and cell masses was fibres were graded into three groups:
indicated. Since the series only includes one coarse, medium or thin. By using dots and
half of the brain, the other half was added lines of corresponding diameters the results
in the drawings as a mirror image. In order of the analysis were represented semi-dia
to obtain bilateral symmetry slight correc grammatically in the drawings.
tions appeared to be necessary. In the right 5) From corresponding Nissl preparations
half of the drawings the fibre pattern was samples of the various nuclei and other cel
drawn in semi-diagrammatically. The cell lular areas were drawn at a magnification
masses were studied in corresponding sec of 70 diameters. These samples were
tions of the Kluver-Barrera series. From employed for depicting the cell masses in
each griseum one or several characteristic the left halves of the drawings. Thus, in this
samples were drawn at a magnification of series of drawings, as in those of the sec
40 diameters with the aid of a projection tions through the forebrain, the neuronal
apparatus. These samples were employed somata are represented at a magnification
for depicting the cell masses in the left ten times that of the sections as a whole.
halves of the sections. Thus, it should be The pictures constituting the fourth and fi
appreciated that the cells are represented nal section fall into two categories: ( 1)
Introduction 3
plates showing the topographic relation ular brain regions were as follows: Cell
ships of the structures belonging to the masses of the brain stem: OLSZEWSKI and
various functional systems and (2) diagrams BAXTER [196]; cerebellum: ANGEVINE, et al.
illustrating the neuronal interrelationships [8); thalamus: DEWULF [63] and VAN Bu
within these systems. The plates are largely REN and BoRKE [257]; hypothalamus:
based on reconstructions prepared from NAUTA and HAYMAKER [183]; allocortical
our own macroscopic and microscopic and adjacent structures: STEPHAN [235];
material. The diagrams are based on data amygdala: CROSBY and HUMPHREY [50].
compiled from the literature. It was not feasible to label all of the recog
nisable structures on every plate. In the
series of slices (Sect. II) and microscopical
Annotations sections (Sect. III) structures that appear
repeatedly have been labelled on alternative
plates or, in a number of instances, even
An effort has been made to enhance the
less frequently.
usefulness of this atlas by including brief
descriptions of the functional systems
depicted. These annotations include the
Acknowledgements
most important findings of modern experi
mental neuroanatomical research.
The generous support of the medical fac
ulties of Nijmegen and Leiden is gratefully
acknowledged.
Terminology and Labelling
The authors wish to thank Dr. J.H.R.
Since the Latin terminology has the obvious ScHOEN for making available the Haggqvist
advantage of accepted international usage, material, Mr. A. BINNENDIJK and Mr. C.
it was decided to employ this terminology CoRNELISSEN for the preparation of the
wherever possible. However, to facilitate series of brain slices and Mrs. C. de VocHT
use of the atlas we have included the En PooRT, Miss P.N. VERIJDT and Mr. J. SnNs
glish or Anglicised equivalents wherever for the preparation of the histological mate
they seemed important in the index. As re rial.
gards gross anatomy, the Paris Nomina
Anatomica, which were adopted in 1955 by Acknowledgement is made to the artists:
the International Nomenclature Committee to Mr. T. VAN GERWEN, who made the half
and revised in 1960 and 1965, has been tone illustrations, to Mr. A. GRUTER, who
used. Unfortunately an internationally did the drawings of the microscopical sec
approved nomenclature for the microscopic tions, and to Mr. W.P.J. MAAS, who pre
structures of the brain does not exist. For pared most of the line drawings and also
the nomenclature of these structures aided in the labelling of the illustrations.
various works have been consulted, among Without their skill and patience this atlas
which the atlases of RILEY [216], SCHALTEN would have been impossible.
BRAND and BAILEY [225], and SINGER and
Y AKOVLEV [232], should be especially men We are deeply indebted to Dr. I.H.M.
tioned. Our principal sources for interpreta SMART for critically reading and checking
tion and terminology of structures in partie- the English of the manuscript.
4 Introduction
The invaluable secretarial assistance of Springer and their co-workers -especially
Mrs. G.E.J.M. VAN SoN-VERSTRAETEN is es Mrs. TH. DEIGMOLLER, Mrs. D. GROSS
pecially acknowledged. HANS, Mr. E. ERFLING and Mrs. U. PFAFF
Finally, the authors extend their most for their continued help during the prep
sincere thanks to the publishing house of aration and publication of this book.
