1he numan 8ra|n:

A Mlnl ALlas

!ose A. 8afols, hu
rofessor of AnaLomy and Cell
8lology
School of Medlclne
Wayne SLaLe unlverslLy

Mau Carln, 8lA
Color ueslgn and Anlmauon
ueslgn Servlces and ulglLal lmaglng
School of Medlclne
Wayne SLaLe unlverslLy
Contents:

Cross-secuons

l. Splnal cord
ll. Medulla
lll. ons
lv. Mldbraln
v. ulencephalon
vl. 8asal ganglla

PorlzonLal secuons

Saglual secuons
Content of the M|n| At|as and now to Use It
A Lradluonal approach Lo Lhe sLudy of Lhe cenLers and ber paLhways of Lhe CenLral
nervous SysLem (CnS) has been Lhe use of lmage-based neuroanaLomlcal ALlases.
Cenerally, such ALlases deplcL convenuonally sLalned, hlsLologlc preparauons sLalned for
CnS gray and whlLe mauers LhaL have been secuoned ln Lhe fronLal, horlzonLal and saglual
planes. lor Lhls mlnl ALlas we have used only LwenLy four, WelgerL-al sLalned secuons of
whlch elghLeen are fronLal, four are horlzonLal and Lwo saglual secuons. Cur blas ln
emphaslzlng fronLal over horlzonLal and saglual secuons ls based on Lhe facL LhaL fronLal
secuons provlde ready ldenucauon of splnal cord and bralnsLem levels for correlauon wlLh
analysls of focally resLrlcLed neurologlcal leslons LhaL may occur aL Lhe same levels and
normally LaughL ln Medlcal School currlcula.

1he rsL gure ln Lhe mlnl ALlas lllusLraLes four sequenual levels (A-D) of Lhe splnal
cord deplcLed from caudal (l.e., sacral) Lo rosLral (l.e., cervlcal) levels, each level conLalnlng
sLrucLural feaLures whlch ldenufy Lhe level ln quesuon. 1hen a mld-saglual vlew of Lhe
bralnsLem ls used for reference ln locallzlng Lhe Lhree levels (A-C) of Lhe medulla, shown
llkewlse from caudal Lo rosLral levels. 1he rauonale for showlng only Lhree levels (l.e.,
caudal, mld and rosLral) of Lhe medulla ls Lo avold unnecessary repeuuon of sLrucLures LhaL
would lnevlLably appear lf lnLervenlng levels were Lo be lncluded. 1hls caudal Lo rosLral
pauern ls Lhen repeaLed also for Lhe pons (caudal, mld, rosLral), mldbraln (caudal, rosLral),
Lhalamus/hypoLhalamus (four levels) and Lhe basal ganglla/venLral forebraln (Lwo levels).
lollowlng Lhe fronLal secuons, a mld-saglual vlew of Lhe le cerebral hemlsphere ls shown
nexL Lo orlenL Lhe four (A-D) horlzonLal secuons presenLed sequenually from superlor (or
dorsal) Lo lnferlor planes. Slmllarly, a venLral vlew of Lhe braln lndlcaLes Lhe approxlmaLe
planes of Lhe lasL Lwo (A and 8) secuons presenLed from medlal Lo laLeral planes. A brlef
LexL accompanylng each lmage explalns how speclc CnS cenLers and Lhelr anaLomlcally
relaLed paLhways are organlzed aL each of Lhe chosen levels. ln facL undersLandlng Lhelr
unlque anaLomlcal organlzauon aL each level helps ln Lhe preclse ldenucauon of Lhe level.
I. Sp|na| cord. ldenucauon of Cross-Secuonal Levels uslng AnaLomlcal leaLures.
1he WelgerL-al sLaln used ln Lhe hlsLologlcal preparauons for Lhls ALlas renders Lhe whlLe
mauer black and Lhe gray mauer gray or llghL amber. 1hls serves roughly Lo ldenufy Lhe large
cenLral nervous sysLem cenLers (l.e., nuclel) from Lhe large LracLs of myellnaLed bers.
unforLunaLely, Lhe quallLy of hlsLologlcal sLalns varles from secuon Lo secuon and unlformlLy of
color has been dlmculL Lo achleve ln Lhls ALlas.
Sp|na| cord |eve|s
lour (A-D) splnal cord cross-secuonal levels are lllusLraLed ln Lhe nexL lmage. A, Lhe
lower (S4-S3) sacral level, 8, Lhe lumbosacral enlargemenL (L3-S3), C, lower Lhoraclc level (16-
112), and D, Lhe cervlcal enlargemenL (C4-C8). Lach of Lhese levels may be ldenued by a seL of
dlsuncL morphologlcal feaLures. A brlef descrlpuon follows.
Leve| A. Lower sacral. Small quadrangular shape. 1hls level conLalns a promlnenL substanna
ge|annosa and small amounLs of whlLe mauer compared Lo gray mauer.
Leve| 8. Lumbosacral enlargemenL. Cverall round shape. 1hls level conLalns a promlnenL
venLral horn and Lhe grac||e fasc|c|e (GI). Small amounL of whlLe mauer compared Lo
gray mauer.
Leve| C. Lower Lhoraclc. Cverall oval shape. romlnenL nuclel aL Lhls level are Lhe dorsa|
nuc|eus
of C|arke and Lhe |ntermed|o|atera| ce|| co|umn (orlgln of pregangllonlc sympaLheuc
bers).
1he posLerlor column ls composed of Cl only.
Leve| D. Cervlcal enlargemenL. Cverall oval shape. 1he poster|or co|umn ls composed of boLh
GI and cuneate fasc|c|es. 1he venLral horn ls promlnenL and wlLh a laLeral exLenslon.
1he anter|or wh|te comm|ssure ls very elongaLed.
II. M|d sag|ua| v|ew of the bra|nstem. Cross-secuonal levels A-C (medu||a) are
shown ln Lhe nexL Lhree lmages. AnLerlor ls Lo Lhe rlghL and superlor Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe lmage.
A
8
C
III. M|d sag|ua| v|ew of the bra|nstem. Cross-secuonal levels A-C (pons) are
seen ln Lhe nexL Lhree lmages. AnLerlor ls Lo Lhe rlghL and superlor Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe lmage.
A
8
C
IV. M|d sag|ua| v|ew of bra|nstem. Cross-secuonal lmages A and 8 (m|dbra|n)
are seen ln Lhe nexL Lwo lmages. AnLerlor ls Lo Lhe rlghL and superlor Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe lmage.
A
8
V. M|d sag|ua| v|ew of bra|nstem. Cross-secuonal levels A-D (d|encepha|on)are
seen ln Lhe nexL four lmages. AnLerlor ls Lo Lhe rlghL and superlor Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe lmage.
A
8
C
D
VI. M|d sag|ua| v|ew of bra|nstem. Cross-secuonal levels A and 8 (basa| gang||a) are
seen ln Lhe nexL Lwo lmages. AnLerlor ls Lo Lhe rlghL and superlor Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe lmage.
A
8
Med|a| v|ew of the |eh hem|sphere. nor|zonta| secnons. Levels A-D are
lllusLraLed ln Lhe nexL four lmages. AnLerlor (fronLal) ls Lo Lhe rlghL and superlor Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe
gure.
A
D
C
8
Ventra| v|ew of the bra|n. Sag|ua| secnons. Levels A and 8 are shown ln Lhe nexL
Lwo lmages. AnLerlor (fronLal) ls Lo Lhe Lop of Lhe lmage.
8 A