Basic neuroanatomy review

Abstract

Knowledge of basic neuroanatomic organization is essential to understanding cognitive anatomic correlations. This chapter provides a descriptive overview of the basic neuroanatomic structures in the human brain, with a particular emphasis on the structures that are associated with cognitive and behavioural functions. These structures include the lobes of the brain (frontal, parietal, occipital, and temporal), the subcortical nuclei (basal ganglia and thalamus), the white matter, and the limbic system. A conceptual framework is presented that can be utilized to organize the anatomical locations, as well as the interconnections between regions. It is noted that neuroanatomy is not easily learnt by reading a text because it is a three-dimensional set of relationships.