The anatomy of the brain – learned over the centuries

Abstract

This article reports the evolution and consolidation of the knowledge of neuroanatomy through the analysis of its history. Thus, we propose to describe in a historical review to summarize the main theories and concepts that emerged throughout brain anatomy history and understand how the socio-historical context can reflect on the nature of scientific knowledge. Therefore, among the diverse scientists, anatomists, doctors, and philosophers who were part of this history, there was a strong influence of the studies of Claudius Galen (AD 129–210), Leonardo da Vinci (1452– 1519), Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), Franciscus Sylvius (1614–1672), Luigi Rolando (1773–1831), Pierre Paul Broca (1824–1880), Carl Wernicke (1848–1905), Korbinian Brodmann (1868–1918), Wilder Penfield (1891–1976), Mahmut Gazi Yasargil (1925), and Albert Loren Rhoton Jr. (1932–2016) on the fundamentals of neuroanatomy.

Gods and monsters: Greek mythology and Christian references in the neurosurgical lexicon

“…Neuroscience was borne from the great ages of human scientific discovery namely, Greek antiquity and the Italian Renaissance. [ 3 , 23 ] In response to the prevailing cultural belief systems of these two eras, it was natural that ancient Greek mythological and Christian symbolism transcended through time into the modern medical lexicon. [ 3 , 17 , 24 ] Cephalocentrism, the philosophical school of thought concerning the brain as the command center of the body, was first introduced by Hippocrates.…”

“…[ 3 , 23 ] In response to the prevailing cultural belief systems of these two eras, it was natural that ancient Greek mythological and Christian symbolism transcended through time into the modern medical lexicon. [ 3 , 17 , 24 ] Cephalocentrism, the philosophical school of thought concerning the brain as the command center of the body, was first introduced by Hippocrates. He not only described the brain as the seat of consciousness, emotions, behavior, and judgment, but also observed that its injury could result in paralysis, seizures or death.…”

“…[ 13 ] The brain was an especially difficult organ to dissect in the absence of tissue fixation techniques, but Vesalius and his contemporaries persisted in their empirical approach to learning through direct observation. [ 1 , 3 , 23 ] This spirit of scientific inquiry, where conclusions to questions of the unknown often raises more questions is in contrast with man’s natural desire for a definitive answer. One of the fundamental roles of organized belief systems is to bridge this chasm.…”

“…Andreas Vesalius (1514–1564), Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), and Heironymus Fabricius (1553–1619) were among the few Italian anatomists to perform human cadaveric brain studies under the watchful eye of the Roman Catholic church. [ 1 , 3 , 23 , 34 ] It is, therefore, understandable that more than 90% of medical jargon have either Greek or Latin roots and the mythological-religious connotations of these rich cultures have found their way from antiquity into the modern neurosurgical vernacular. [ 37 ] Previous studies have described the influence of Hellenistic mythology and Christianity in clinical neuroscience in broad contexts.…”