The Human Nervous System
- 4th Edition - August 1, 2026
- Latest edition
- Editors: George Paxinos, Juergen K Mai, Steve Kassem
- Language: English
The Human Nervous System, Fourth Edition is the standard reference for the anatomy of the central and peripheral nervous system of the human. Fully revised, with new chapte… Read more
The Human Nervous System, Fourth Edition is the standard reference for the anatomy of the central and peripheral nervous system of the human. Fully revised, with new chapters covering genes and anatomy, gene expression studies, and glia cells. The book continues to be an excellent companion to the Atlas of the Human Brain, and a common nomenclature throughout the book is enforced. Physiological data, functional concepts, correlates to the neuroanatomy of the major model systems (rat and mouse), and brain function round out the new edition.
All chapters are fully revised with sharper photomicrograph images and new chapters on principle fiber pathways and the isthmus and midbrain region are featured.
All chapters are fully revised with sharper photomicrograph images and new chapters on principle fiber pathways and the isthmus and midbrain region are featured.
- Adopts standard nomenclature aligned with the Mai et al. Atlas of the Human Brain
- Contains full color throughout
- Identifies brain structures and connectivity between areas
- Features new coverage of genes and anatomy, gene expression studies, and glia cells
Standard reference book for all labs doing neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, or molecular expression/cloning/neurogenetics in the mouse brain
I. Evolution and development
1. Brain Evolution
2. Development of the Peripheral Nervous System
3. Fetal Development of the Central Nervous System
II. Peripheral nervous system and spinal cord
4. Peripheral Nervous System Topics
5. Peripheral Autonomic Pathways
6. Spinal Cord: Regional Anatomy, Cytoarchitecture and Chemoarchitecture
7. Spinal Cord: Connections
III. Brainstem and cerebellum
8. Organization of Brainstem Nuclei
9. Reticular Formation
10. Periaqueductal Gray
11. Raphe Nuclei
12. Locus Coeruleus
13. Substantia Nigra, Ventral Tegmental Area, and Retrorubral Fields
14. Brainstem Cholinergic Systems
15. Cerebellum and Precerebellar Nuclei
IV. Diencephalon, basal ganglia, basal forebrain and amygdala
16. Hypothalamus
17. Hypophysis
18. Circumventricular Organs
19. Thalamus
20. The Basal Ganglia
21. Sex Differences in the Forebrain
22. Amygdala
V. Cortex
23. Architecture of the Cerebral Cortex
24. Hippocampal Formation
25. Cingulate Cortex
26. The Frontal Cortex
27. Motor Cortex
28. Posterior Parietal Cortex
VI. Systems
29. Lower Brainstem Regulation of Visceral, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory Function
30. Somatosensory System
31. Trigeminal Sensory System
32. Pain System
33. Gustatory System
34. The Olfactory System
35. The Vestibular System
36. Auditory System
37. Visual System
38. The Emotional Systems
39. Cerebral Vascular System
Index
1. Brain Evolution
2. Development of the Peripheral Nervous System
3. Fetal Development of the Central Nervous System
II. Peripheral nervous system and spinal cord
4. Peripheral Nervous System Topics
5. Peripheral Autonomic Pathways
6. Spinal Cord: Regional Anatomy, Cytoarchitecture and Chemoarchitecture
7. Spinal Cord: Connections
III. Brainstem and cerebellum
8. Organization of Brainstem Nuclei
9. Reticular Formation
10. Periaqueductal Gray
11. Raphe Nuclei
12. Locus Coeruleus
13. Substantia Nigra, Ventral Tegmental Area, and Retrorubral Fields
14. Brainstem Cholinergic Systems
15. Cerebellum and Precerebellar Nuclei
IV. Diencephalon, basal ganglia, basal forebrain and amygdala
16. Hypothalamus
17. Hypophysis
18. Circumventricular Organs
19. Thalamus
20. The Basal Ganglia
21. Sex Differences in the Forebrain
22. Amygdala
V. Cortex
23. Architecture of the Cerebral Cortex
24. Hippocampal Formation
25. Cingulate Cortex
26. The Frontal Cortex
27. Motor Cortex
28. Posterior Parietal Cortex
VI. Systems
29. Lower Brainstem Regulation of Visceral, Cardiovascular, and Respiratory Function
30. Somatosensory System
31. Trigeminal Sensory System
32. Pain System
33. Gustatory System
34. The Olfactory System
35. The Vestibular System
36. Auditory System
37. Visual System
38. The Emotional Systems
39. Cerebral Vascular System
Index
- Edition: 4
- Latest edition
- Published: August 1, 2026
- Language: English
GP
George Paxinos
George Paxinos has written 62 books on the brain of humans, monkeys, rodents and birds. His first atlas, The Rat Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, is the most cited neuroscience publication. His Atlas of the Human Brain received The Award for Excellence in Publishing in Medical Science (Assoc American Publishers, 1997) and The British Medical Association Illustrated Book Award (2016). His eco-fiction book A River Divided (georgepaxinos.com.au) considers the question of whether the brain in the Goldilocks Zone - the right “size” for survival.
Affiliations and expertise
NHMRC Senior Principal, NeuRA, AustraliaJK
Juergen K Mai
Professor Mai studied medicine in Freiburg, Germany, Vienna and UT Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, U.S.A. Student and Medical practices in Freiburg (Clinic for Neurosurgery), Berlin and Düsseldorf. Dissertation ("summa cum laude") and habilitation were awarded by the University of Düsseldorf: After a period as GP in private practice (Titisee-Neustadt) he became scientific assistant and senior assistant at the C. and O. Vogt-Institute for Brain Research, University of Düsseldorf (1972 - 1983) and Professor of Neuroanatomy at the Institute of Neuroanatomy, H.-Heine-University of Düsseldorf. He served as director of the Department of the Institute of Anatomy 1 until retirement in 2011. His main research interests are (i) the structural and molecular anatomy of the mammalian brain and (ii) expression patterns and regulation of terminal carbohydrates in development, cell activation and disease (III) operation planning in stereotactic neurosurgery. He works on a "Digital Brain Atlas for Planning and Interindividual Registration of Targets in Deep Brain Stimulation" and on a "Spatial Information Management Resource for the Human Brain". J. K. Mai has edited the catalogue of human brain sections from the Vogt collection; he is author and editor of several books, e.g. the awarded "Atlas of the Human Brain" (Academic Press/Elsevier, San Diego), "The Human Nervous System" (Academic Press/Elsevier, San Diego, Amsterdam, 3rd ed. 2012), Human Brain in Standard MNI Space: A Comprehensive Pocket Atlas (Academic Press/Elsevier, San Diego, 2017; with M. Majtanik), Funktionelle Anatomie für Zahnmediziner (Quintessenz, Berlin, 2nd. ed. 2008; Sensi Divini (ital., engl., ger, russ. eds). J. K. Mai is founder and CEO of MR-X-Brain GmbH.
Affiliations and expertise
Clinic for Neurosurgery, Düsseldorf, GermanySK
Steve Kassem
Steve Kassem is a Senior Research Fellow at Neuroscience Research Australia and The University of New South Wales. He has authored two brain atlases, Atlas of the Developing Mouse Brain and Chemoarchitectonic Atlas of the Rat Brain. He developed a modification of the Golgi Stain, the Ultra-Rapid-Golgi stain, permitting use on cleared and fixed tissue and has assembled one of the largest online collections of histological material, brainreservoir.neura.edu.au. With Paxinos, Dalton and Smith, he constructed a unified list of CNS terms for humans, monkeys, rodents and birds, cnsterms.neura.edu.au.
Affiliations and expertise
Senior Research Fellow, NeuRA, Sydney, Australia