Neurons and Nobel Prizes: a centennial history of neuropathology

Camillo Golgi and Santiago Ramón Y Cajal were selected as joint Nobel Prize recipients in 1906, "in recognition of their work on the structure of the nervous system." This posthumous Festschrift is written in celebration and commemoration of the 90th anniversary of that event, and the reader is invited to participate in an entertaining journey through the history of neuropathology, as it evolved from the time of Golgi and Cajal. The story, of necessity, is written in broad descriptive terms, highlighting major events and personalities, and strives for continuity of narration and coherence of presentation. The historical framework reflects the personal experience and purview of the author and his mentor, Kenneth M. Earle, who began their careers in neurology and neurosurgery, respectively. Emphasis on the close interface linking clinical neuroscience and neuropathology indicates the antecedents of the latter discipline as well as the overlap characterizing current modes of investigation at the cellular and molecular levels. This article is intended to provide a younger generation of neurologists and neurosurgeons with a review of what has gone before as a foundation for their current studies and future careers.