Thomas Willis, a pioneer in translational research in anatomy (on the 350th anniversary ofCerebri anatome)

Abstract

The year 2014 marked the 350th anniversary of the publication in London of Cerebri anatome, a groundbreaking work of neuroscience heavily influenced by the political and cultural context of Baroque Europe and mid-17th century England. This article aims to review the work of the English physician and anatomist Thomas Willis, specifically with regard to the contents of his Cerebri anatome. Willis's academic and professional career was influenced by the turbulent period of the English Civil War during which he studied medicine. Willis went from chemistry to dissection arguably because of his need to justify the body-brain-soul relationship. As a result, he became a fellow of a select club of eminent experimentalists, and afterward was a Fellow of the Royal Society. Later on, he went to London, leaving the academic life to dedicate himself fully to the profession of medicine. As a physician, Willis did not base his practice on aphorisms but on a 'bench to bedside' approach to medicine, while studying neuroanatomy -covering embryology, comparative anatomy and pathological anatomy -as a basis for the comprehension of neurological pathology. He developed innovative anatomical methods for the preservation and dissection of the brain, injection of coloured substances and illustration of his findings. In Cerebri anatome, Willis recognized the cerebral cortex as the substrate of cognition. He also claimed that the painful stimuli came from the meninges, but not from the brain itself. He explained for the first time the pathological and functional meaning of the brain's circular arterial anastomosis, which is named after him. He also specified some features of the cranial origin of the sympathetic nerves and coined the term 'neurologie'. Cerebri anatome marked the transition between the mediaeval and modern notions of brain function, and thus it is considered a cornerstone of clinical and comparative anatomy of the nervous system. The new contributions and methods employed by Willis justify his place as a father of neurology and a pioneer of translational research.

Initial experience using the 3MAX cerebral reperfusion catheter in the endovascular treatment of acute ischemic stroke of distal arteries

“…The M2-MCA segment has a parent vessel with a mean diameter of 2 mm 22 23. In the cases we have described above with an M2 occlusion, the diameter of the parent vessel was smaller, so the 3MAX was the preferred catheter, but in other cases it might be advantageous to use a 4MAX (internal diameter 0.041 in and 1.42 mm outer diameter) and/or ACE, as we used in the second patient with a larger M2.…”

A technique of manufacturing anatomical preparations of the human brain based on injecting vessels with colored silicone (a technical note)

“…При исследовании сосудов головного мозга он вводил чернильный раствор в артериальное сосудистое русло, что позволило ему увидеть кольцо из артериальных сосудов, лежащее в основании головного мозга. Избирательно лигируя различные части «круга», он показал, что поток крови может достичь контралатерального полушария через артериальные анастомозы [8].…”

What is the Functional / Organic Distinction Actually Doing in Psychiatry and Neurology?

“…Physician Thomas Willis (1621-1675) first used the term 'neurology' when connecting the signs and symptoms of patients to alterations in the structure of the nervous system, usually identified in post-mortem dissection (Arráez-Aybar et al, 2015;Molnár, 2004). This method was later developed and cited a visible structural lesion as one of the most important elements in the conceptualisation of an organic disorder (Goetz, 2009), something that remains influential to this day.…”