Neuroanatomy is a living, dynamic field that can bring both intellectual delight and aesthetic pleasure to students at all levels. However, by nature, it is also an exceedingly detailed subject, and herein lies the tragic pitfall of all too many neuroanatomy courses. Crushing amounts of memorization are often required of students of neuroanatomy, leaving them little time to step back and gain an appreciation of the structural and functional beauty of the nervous system and its relevance to clinical practice. This book has a different point of view: instead of making the mastery of anatomical details the main goal and then searching for applications of this knowledge, actual clinical cases are used as both a teaching instrument and motivating force to encourage students to delve into further study of normal anatomy and function. Through this approach, structural details take on immediate relevance as they are being learned. In addition, each clinical case is an ideal way to integrate knowledge of disparate functional systems, since a single lesion may affect several different neural structures and pathways. Over 100 clinical cases, accompanied by neuroradiological images, are presented in this text, and I am grateful to many neurologists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists at the Columbia, Harvard, and Yale medical schools for helping me to amass enough material to present clinically relevant discussions of the entire nervous system. I have used this book’s diagnostic method to teach neuroanatomy at these medical schools, and both students and faculty greeted the innovation enthusiastically. Through publication of Neuroanatomy through Clinical Cases I hope that students and faculty at many additional institutions will find this to be an enjoyable and effective way to learn neuroanatomy and its real-life applications.

As it started planning this Atlas, the publisher sought aut the opinions and needs of students and lecturers In both the United States and Europe. The goal was to find out what the “ideal” atlas of anatomy should be-ideal far students wanting to learn from the atlas, master the extensive amounts of Information while on a busy class schedule, and, In the process, acquire sound, up-to-date knowledge. The result of this work Is this Atlas. The THIEME Atlas of Anatomy, unlike mast other atlases, Is a comprehensive educational tool that combines illustrations with explanatory text and summarizing tables, Introducing clinical applications throughout, and presenting anatomical concepts In a step-by-step sequence that allows for the Integration of both systemby- system and topographical views. Since tile THIEME Atlas of Anatomy Is based on a fresh approach to the underlying subject matter itself, it was necessary to create for it an entirely new set of illustration5-il task that took eight years. Our goal was to provide illustrations that would compellingly demonstrate anatomical relations and concepts, revealing the underlying simplicity of the logic and order of human anatomy without sacrificing detail or aesthetics. With the THIEME Atlas of Anatomy, it was our intention to create an atlas tllat would guide students in their initial study of anatomy, stimulate their enthusiasm for this intriguing and vitally important subject, and provide a reliable reference for experienced students and professionals alike. Our enthusiasm for tile THIEME Atlas of Anatomy began when each of us, Independently, saw preliminary material from thlsAtlas. We were Immediately captivated by the new approach, the conceptual organization, and by tile stunning quality and detail of the images of the Atlas. We were delighted when the editors at Thieme offered us the appertunlty to cooperate with them In making this outstanding resource available to our students and colleagues In North America.