The Committee of Neurotraumatology of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies decided to elaborate a Glossary of Neuro traumatology, and for this purpose appointed a subgroup of members of this Committee, headed by Dr. E. S. Gurdjian, whose report follows this preface. The main reason for the Committee's decision was the hope that the diffusion of the Glossary through "Acta Neurochirurgica" may bring about a better understanding of neurotraumatological terminology on a worldwide scale. The Glossary should facilitate the classification and the comparison of traumatic lesions of the...

As a result of its structure, the skull base forms a borderline between different medi cal and surgical specialties. Nevertheless, the pathology of the skull may involve crossing these boundaries. Consequently, treatment may require a multidisciplinary approach with close cooperation between different specialists, each with his specific knowledge and capabilities. A good example is the cooperation needed in the treat ment of skull base trauma. The Skull Base Study Group was founded some years ago in view of this situa tion. Its purpose is to organize international conferences on topics...

The human personality is inextricably bound up with, among other things, the function of the central nervous system. Diseases and malfunctions of the brain, head injuries and neurosurgical operations can all result in permanently altered behaviour patterns. This interrelation between brain and behaviour is most clearly demonstrated in cases involving functional neurosurgery and severe traumatic lesions. Despite the fact that this interrelation represents an everyday challenge to the neurosurgeon, it is a question which receives less attention than it deserves in neurosurgical meetings. Given...