Korbinian Brodmann1868–1918

Brodmann’s areas

Kraepelin acted as a catalyst for those who wished to examine the biological bases of cortical diseases, and another talented neuropathologist he attracted to Munich was Brodmann. Using the Nissl stain, he defined the cytoarchitecture of the cortex, dividing it into areas based on the cell types and densities. The maps, which used evidence of cortical localization as well as cell types, conferred a degree of order to subsequent studies of brain function. Brodmann is shown in his diagram of brain areas; the numbers and symbols on the diagram of the brain surface denote regions that can be distinguished by the morphology of the cells contained within it.