3D Atlas of Neurological Disorders

The objective of the 3D Atlas, according to the Introduction, is to address neurological disorders resulting from brain damage. A bold assertion. However, there is justification for such a claim as the primary author, Wieslaw Nowinski has produced 35 such brain and neurological atlases. He has a significant number of publications to his name and has received awards and honours for his research. He definitely has pedigree. The other credits go to Beng Choon Chua, project leader with experience in all aspects of system engineering, and Su Hnin Wut Yi, software engineer involved with design and development of object-oriented programming. All three are associated with A*STAR (the Agency for Science, Technology and Research), a Singapore public sector agency involved in research to promote development of innovative technology. The Atlas is designed for use by medical students, health care generalists, and specialists such as neurosurgeons. This is quite a broad range. It is an advantage in one sense (wider audience), but a disadvantage in another, in that it could be too demanding for students but not up to date, specific or detailed enough for specialists. The Disclaimer notes that medical knowledge is ever changing. Therefore, the authors are careful to mention the possibility of error. They recognise that any publication in this area may quickly be superseded. This is true for the technology as well as the pathologies. To mitigate against this, the anatomical and pathological information is solid rather than detailing latest research. It is hard to predict how soon the technology will be superseded, but as these authors are on the cutting edge of its development, it is likely they will produce the next version.