Basic Neurology [antikvár]

Preface While thie subject matter of neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurochemistry and neuropsychology may still be considered as separate sciences, the recent trend is towards some unification of thought between these disciplines. Ultimately this trend may well become so established that the term neurobiology will be more descriptive than any other for this whole field of investigation. Other areas of study such as neuroendocrinology, neuroembryology and neurocybernetics would also logically fit into such a discipline. The synthesis of all these disciplines is paramount in the ultimate understanding of the function of the human brain. The title Basic Neurology was chosen for this introductory textbook because an attempt was made to present the building stones of the neurological sciences in an interdisciplinary way. Thus the first section dealing with anatomy contains many references to the physiological state of brain areas as well as anatomical information necessary for comprehending the physiological processes. The section on physiology provides a framework for understanding how nerve cells work and how they interact with each other. The chapter on biochemistry then illustrates how the basic metabolic processes occur in the brain. Finally there is the section devoted to behavior. This is indeed a complex field and any interpretation of the results of behavioral experiments in laboratory animals and man is dependent on a thorough understanding of the structure and function and metabolic interaction of the individual components of the central and peripheral nervous system. The book has been extensively illustrated so that a wide range of students from various disciplines may readily 'see' what they are reading. Although this text may be considered introductory in relation to all the details known for each of the subsections represented, it should be useful to a wide audience, such as freshmen medical, dental-school and psychology students. The extensive use of illustrations should also make this a useful text in schools of nursing and physical therapy. The scope of the book is such that it may also be used for review of the basic sciences in post-doctoral training programs in neurology, psychiatry and neurosurgery. Physicists and chemists interested in the brain sciences may find some useful information. References appropriate to each subject are given at the end of each section. For those students desiring additional details, an annotated bibliography is included which lists many of the standard, classical, or most recent volumes devoted to the special fields discussed.