Stereotactic navigation, Jean Talairach, and I

This is not meant to be a comprehensive review of the work of Jean Talairach and his associates at the Centre Hospitalier Ste. Anne in Paris. Much more space than is available here would be required for that purpose. Talairach's contributions in the development of stereotactic instrumentation and methods, cerebral anatomy, neurophysiology, epilepsy, stereotactic biopsy and interstitial irradiation of tumors, radionuclide ablation of the pituitary gland, and surgical treatment of pain, movement disorders, and psychiatric illnesses are legend. Talairach is a creative pioneer who, from the time he arrived at Ste. Anne in 1937 at 28 years of age, has remained productive throughout his life and, even in his late eighties, continued to contribute to his field. His legacy is enormous. This work is simply meant to relate some of my personal anecdotes about Talairach and the people around him and to describe how the experience influenced my own career.