Head and Neck : Morphology, Models and Function

This book offers a critical review of the head and neck from an anatomical, physiological and clinical perspective. It begins by providing essential anatomical and physiological information, then discusses historical and current views on specific aspects in subsequent chapters. For example, the anatomy of the skull cap or cranial vault provided in the first chapter is discussed in the context of malformation and identity, as well as the development of the bony skull, in the following chapters. These chapters provide stepping-stones to guide readers through the book. There are new fields of research and technological developments in which Anatomy and Physiology lose track of progress. One of the examples discussed is the automated face recognition. 

In some respects, e.g. when it comes to cancers and malformations, our understanding of the head and neck – and the resulting therapeutic outcomes – have been extremely disappointing. In others, such as injuries following car accidents, there have been significant advances in our understanding of head and neck dysfunctions and their treatment. Therefore head movements, also during sleep, and head and neck reflexes are discussed. The book makes unequivocal distinctions between correct and incorrect assumptions and provides a critical review of alternative clinical methods for head and neck dysfunctions, such as physiotherapy and lymphatic drainage for cancers. Moreover, it discusses the consequences of various therapeutic measures for physiological and biomechanical conditions, as well as puberty and aging. Lastly, it addresses important biomedical engineering developments for hearing e.g. cochlear implants and for applying vestibular cerebellar effects for vision. 

Prof. Dr. Enrico Marani was the Head of the Neuroregulation group, a co-operation of Neurosurgery, Urology and Neuroscience groups, at both the Leiden Anatomy and Leiden Physiology Department, the Netherlands. 

He was Professor of Neurophysiology at the Department of Biomedical Signals and Systems at the University of Twente, the Netherlands and at Stara Zagora University, Bulgaria. He also served as a Professor of Neuroanatomy in Sofia, Bulgaria. 

His primary research interest is in Generation and Regeneration of the Nervous System and he has worked on the cerebellum (thesis), hypothalamus, Parkinson’s, neuronal cultures and learning, and the neuronal connections of the uropoetic system.

He has served as editor of Archives of Physiology and Biochemistry, and of Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology, as co-editor of Bulgarian Bio-Medical Reviews, and as a member of the editorial board for the European Journal of Morphology.

He has taught courses on Anatomy, Neuroanatomy and Neurophysiology in the Netherlands, Suriname and Bulgaria. After a full professorship at the University of Twente, he has been an Emeritus Professor since 2009.

Dr. Tjitkse Heida is associate professor at the Biomedical Signals & Systems group of the University of Twente, The Netherlands. She has a background in Electrical Engineering. Her research interests focus on the one hand on increasing our understanding of the central mechanisms of human motor control and the pathophysiology underlying movement disorders and early detection of changes in brain activity and movement patterns. On the other hand an important part of her research is focused on the application of neuromodulation techniques for restoring motor control in movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has been one of the main themes during the past years. She combines computational modeling and experimental research to unravel the mechanisms underlying DBS therapy and to simulate and test new therapeutic strategies. She is a member of the International / Benelux Neuromodulation Society (INS/BNS), IEEE Advanced Technology for Humanity, and Movement Disorders Society. She has been co-editor of the special issue Neural Models of Brain Disorders of Neural Networks.

Dr. Heida teaches the fundamentals and advanced techniques for signal analysis and the theory of electromagnetic fields for biomedical and clinical applications in the educational programs Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering and Technical Medicine of the University of Twente. She is chair of the Examination Committee of the Bachelor Program Technical Medicine, and mentor of master students of the BSS group. She has been chair of the Program Committee and member of the Curriculum Committee of Biomedical Engineering of the University of Twente and member of the Institute Council of the MIRA Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine.