Sesquicentenary of the birthday of Santiago Ramón y Cajal, the father of modern neuroscience.

The appearance of Santiago Ramón y Cajal in the world of neuroscience provoked a radical change in the course of its history. Cajal's studies of the microanatomy of virtually the whole CNS and his observations regarding degeneration and regeneration, together with his theories about the function, development and plasticity of the nervous system, had a profound impact on researchers of his era. These studies represent the roots of what are today some of the most exciting areas of discovery in terms of the structure and function of the brain in both sickness and health.