Ayşen Süzen EKİNCİ, Cumhur ERTEKİN
Turkish Journal of Neurology - 2026;32(2):113-124
This historical review addresses the development of debates on the cellular unit of the nervous system and functional localization in the brain from the 19th century to the present. The first section summarizes the disagreements between the reticular theory and the neuron doctrine, based on the contributions of Remak, Gerlach, Deiters, Golgi, His, Forel, Nansen, Cajal, Waldeyer, and Sherrington. The second section evaluates discussions on phrenology, holistic cortical approaches, and cortical localization through the work of Gall, Flourens, Broca, Wernicke, Jackson, Hitzig, Fritsch, Ferrier, and Goltz. The final section emphasizes the transition of modern neuroscience from a strictly centralized localization concept to distributed, connectional network models. Historical evidence suggests that brain functions cannot be reduced to single centers nor fully explained within a homogeneous cortical area. The current approach accepts that specific functions emerge through anatomically distinguishable but strongly interconnected networks.
