Editorial: Neuroanatomy for the XXIst Century.

Abstract

In this still young XXIst century, neuroanatomy returns to center stage, after decades of being criticized as too “descriptive,” and consequent neglect at the end of the last century. This re-instatement is in part because “descriptive” has lost much of its pejorative connotation, and the recognition of the importance of functional, genetically- and molecularly-based categorization, and deeper understanding of cell types and network organization. Neuroanatomy as a discipline has an established commitment to structural-functional correlations and is thus well-positioned for progress in these fundamental areas. Indeed, the development of new neuroanatomical methods and segmentation tools to convert qualitative visual observations into quantitative data is fueling the return of neuroanatomy as a principal discipline for better understanding the structural and functional organization of the nervous system.