Medical Neuroanatomy for the Boards and the Clinic: Finding the Lesion

Jonathan Leo

ISBN: 9783032307286

Published: August 4, 2026

Format: Softcover

Language: English

Publisher: Springer

Description

Now in its third edition, Medical Neuroanatomy for the Boards and the Clinic: Finding the Lesion teaches neuroanatomy the way clinicians actually use it: by starting from a patient's signs and symptoms and working systematically through the neural tracts to localize the lesion. Written by an anatomy educator with more than 25 years of board-review teaching experience, the book replaces rote memorization with an integrated framework that connects every structure to a real clinical scenario, preparing readers equally for board exams and for the wards.

Key Features

Bedside lesion-localization method: given a set of neurological signs, readers learn to trace the deficit through the long tracts, cranial nerve nuclei, and brainstem to pinpoint the anatomical lesion, the same reasoning tested on USMLE/COMLEX-style board questions and used daily on clinical rotations.

Built-in self-assessment: a dedicated Neuroanatomy Atlas and a Lesion and Blood Vessel Test chapter let readers practice localization against real imaging and vascular territories before sitting for exams.

Expanded peripheral nerve coverage: this edition adds a new Peripheral Nerves section on cranial nerve lesions, closing a gap between classic CNS-tract teaching and what trainees actually encounter on neurology and neurosurgery rotations.

Coverage

Twenty chapters across two parts. Central Nervous System: the three long tracts and spinal cord lesions, corticobulbar tract and cranial nerve nuclei, abducens nerve lesions, vestibulocochlear nerve lesions, visual pathway lesions, autonomics, cerebellar lesions, basal ganglia lesions, thalamus and hypothalamus, the limbic circuit and memory, chemical neuroanatomy, brainstem lesions, cerebral cortex lesions, neurophysiology, a neuroanatomy atlas, and a lesion and blood vessel test. Peripheral Nerves: cranial nerve lesions. 342 pages, with 308 color and 17 black-and-white illustrations.

About the Author

Jonathan Leo teaches anatomy at Kansas City University and has more than 25 years of experience teaching neuroanatomy and preparing students for board examinations. His clinical, lesion-based teaching method has made earlier editions of this book a standard board-review reference for neuroanatomy.

Table of Contents

Central Nervous System: 1. The Three Long Tracts and Spinal Cord Lesions. 2. Corticobulbar Tract and Cranial Nerve Nuclei. 3. Abducens Nerve Lesions. 4. Vestibulocochlear Nerve Lesions. 5. Visual Pathway Lesions. 6. Autonomics, Lesions, and Cell Bodies of Origin. 7. Cerebellar Lesions. 8. Basal Ganglia Lesions. 9. Thalamus and Hypothalamus. 10. The Limbic Circuit, Learning, Memory, and How the Brain Works. 11. Chemical Neuroanatomy. 12. Brainstem Lesions. 13. Cerebral Cortex Lesions. 14. Neurophysiology. 15. Neuroanatomy Atlas. 16. Lesion and Blood Vessel Test. Peripheral Nerves: 17. Cranial Nerves.

Why buy this book?

This is a working reference for the exact stretch of training where board exams and clinical rotations overlap: medical students preparing for neuroanatomy-heavy board questions, and residents in neurology, neurosurgery, and physical medicine who need a fast, reliable way to localize a lesion from a symptom set. The third edition's new peripheral nerve chapter and revised illustrations keep it current for both purposes, and its self-testing chapters make it as useful for independent review as for classroom teaching. Academic medical libraries will find it a durable core-curriculum title that circulates every board-exam season.

Keywords

neuroanatomy textbook, lesion localization, USMLE board review, cranial nerve lesions, brainstem anatomy, clinical neuroanatomy, neurology residency, neuroanatomy atlas, medical education, COMLEX neuroanatomy

Target Audience

Medical students, neurology and neurosurgery residents, healthcare professionals, academic medical libraries

Genre

Neuroscience, Neuroanatomy, Medical Education

Q&A

Q: What is new in the third edition of Medical Neuroanatomy for the Boards and the Clinic?
A: This edition adds a new Peripheral Nerves section covering cranial nerve lesions, alongside significantly revised and expanded illustrations throughout the central nervous system chapters.

Q: How does this book approach neuroanatomy differently from a standard textbook?
A: Rather than presenting structures in isolation, it starts from clinical signs and symptoms and works through the relevant tracts step by step to localize the lesion, mirroring how neuroanatomy is actually tested and applied.

Q: Is this book appropriate for board exam preparation?
A: Yes. It is designed specifically for neuroanatomy content on USMLE/COMLEX-style board exams as well as for clinical neurology and neurosurgery rotations.

Q: Does the book include self-assessment material?
A: Yes. A dedicated Neuroanatomy Atlas chapter and a Lesion and Blood Vessel Test chapter let readers practice localization before sitting exams or seeing patients.

Q: Where can I buy Medical Neuroanatomy for the Boards and the Clinic?
A: You can order it directly from CLNZ Books, with worldwide shipping and secure payment by card or PayPal.

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