The Most Frequent Eponyms in the Study of the Human Nervous System Anatomy

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate the phenomenon of eponyms derived from scientists’ names through bibliographic analysis of literature. Materials and methods. The following research methods were used: dialectical, historical and chronological, bibliographic and descriptive, analytical. Results and discussion. It would be difficult to name the field of medicine in which there would be no eponyms. Most eponyms are still used in medicine. An eponym (Greek: ἐπώνῠμος, lit. "the one who gave the name") is an outstanding person or hero after whom an object was named. In science, an eponym is a natural linguistic compound of a scientist and his/her discovery in scientific and historical context. In anatomy, histology, embryology, cytology eponyms have been constantly used for a long time. Knowing them is essential for a certified doctor, teacher and scientist from a professional point of view. The use of eponyms contributes to professional development and raises the intellectual level of a medical worker. In anatomy, eponyms are increasingly found in various publications and textbooks on clinical anatomy. They are used in foreign publications and textbooks as well as in clinical practice. This article contains eponyms related to the human nervous system anatomy. The reason is that during practical classes and exams, many students face difficulties in learning and memorizing terms that are found in the literature. Ammon's horn is a part of the hippocampus that forms a longitudinal bulge on the inferior horn of the lateral ventricle. Bekhterev's nucleus is the superior cerebellar nucleus, which is located in the lateral corner of the fossa rhomboid; its neurons switch the fibers of the anterior part of the vestibulocochlear nerve. Betz cell is a large pyramidal neuron of the inner pyramidal layer of the cerebral cortex, the axons of which form the main part of the corticospinal (pyramidal) pathways. Sylvian aqueduct, aquaeductus cerebri, is a narrow channel in the midbrain connecting the third and fourth ventricles and containing cerebrospinal fluid. Flechsig’s tract is the posterior spinocerebellar tract (tractus spinocerebellaris posterior), which runs in the posterior part of the lateral funiculus of the spinal cord. Forel decussation is the ventral intersection of the fibers of the rubrospinal pathway in the lining of the midbrain (decussatio tegmentalis encephali ventralis). Meynert's decussation is dorsal intersection of the tegmentum in the midbrain. Schwalbe's nucleus is medial median nucleus (nucleus vestibularis medialis) of the VIII pair of cranial nerves. Conclusion. Thus, the study of eponyms allows us to preserve the names of scientists who have made a significant contribution to science. Furthermore, eponyms simplify memorizing of the material when studying the human nervous system anatomy and enriches our knowledge of medical science history