Key to understanding MRI based measures of neuroanatomy is that, with MRI, we are not directly measuring the cellular compartments we would like to make inferences on. Limited resolution, combined with indirect measurements, cautions against simplistic extrapolation from MRI findings to neurobiological conclusions.
Functional neuroanatomy is the study of the functional connections in the brain and spinal cord, distinct but interconnected with the structural or "more conventional" anatomic descriptions of the central nervous system. It focuses on the relationship between structure and function and hence it is vital in our understanding of behavior and emotion.
Neuroanatomy encompasses the anatomy of all structures of the: The functional description of neuroanatomy divides the nervous system into: This anatomy section promotes the use of the Terminologia Anatomica , the international standard of anatomical nomenclature 1.
The study of neuroanatomy can be traced back to ancient Egypt and was brought into the modern era by the seminal tracings of the brain and nerves by Thomas Willis. The brain was long viewed as the seat of consciousness and thought.