Introduction

The Neurosurgical Atlas is a comprehensive and interactive resource that provides a variety of multimedia content designed to enhance and reinforce the skills of neurosurgeons. This resource was founded by Aaron Cohen-Gadol, MD, with the purpose of helping patients that suffer from neurological conditions and improving health outcomes.¹ Behind the Neurosurgical Atlas name is also a nonprofit foundation committed to advancing surgical technologies, education, and research.²

Content

With an extensive library of materials detailing advanced neurosurgical and microneurosurgical techniques, Neurosurgical Atlas is a valuable resource for medical students, residents, and specialists across disciplines. Primary uses of the resource include supplementing medical school curriculum for students, rehearsing and learning surgical procedures for residents, and consulting procedural guidance on a complex case for senior neurosurgeons.³ Contributors to the development of the resource and its content include a number of expert neurosurgeons, neuroscientists, and medical illustrators.⁴ Materials are available exclusively through the web; however, the website is responsive to mobile formatting, allowing users to access and navigate materials while on the go. Included content consists of volumes, operative video cases, a neuroanatomy module, Grand Rounds webinars, and interactive 3D models.

Volumes

Volumes are composed of a collection of 526 text chapters that provide technical descriptions of surgical procedural methods.⁵ Along with a textual description, each surgery is illustrated with a video and accompanying images. The volume “Medical Student Guide for Matching in Neurosurgery” is available for medical students planning the next steps for their careers. Residents and fellows have a dedicated volume entitled “Transition to the ‘Real’ World for Residents and Fellows.” The last volume listed provides articles that are trending in various neurosurgical journals for students and professionals seeking to stay updated with the literature.

Cases

Operative video cases are designed to facilitate proficiency in surgical technique by illustrating complex procedures.¹ A text transcript is provided with each narrated video.

Neuroanatomy

The neuroanatomy module contains a collection of more than 1,700 images with a dynamic tagging system that allows users to explore connections between neuroanatomical structures and find related content in other sections of the Atlas.⁵

Figure 1. Image of the anterior perspective of dissected cerebrum and brainstem with the choroid plexus tag selected in the neuroanatomy module.

Grand Rounds

Grand Rounds webinars are presented by master surgeons who are invited to speak on a variety of topics. Each webinar includes between 10 and 20 operative video cases, and new webinars are frequently added to the library. The collection includes representation from over 220 neurosurgeons from over 50 different countries.³

3D Models

3D models provide interactive renderings of anatomical structures, which users can view on a web browser or in a virtual reality (VR) environment. The Atlas contains 58 models, each of which is tagged and annotated, allowing users to easily discover related images and content from other sections of the Atlas.⁵

Features and Functionality

The interface promotes a visual experience, showcasing prominent images that illustrate the text on the page and providing a clean layout that is simple to navigate. A menu is displayed at the top of the home page, allowing users to quickly select and open the content they want to explore. Volumes are organized in a menu, allowing users to select a category and subsequent subcategories to view a chapter of interest. When selected, the chapter content will appear in the viewing pane, while related content from other sections of the Atlas will appear in the right column. The sections for cases, the neuroanatomy module, Grand Rounds, and 3D models each display a search bar above a thumbnail gallery in the viewing pane with filter options in the left column. Users can select an image in the gallery to view the desired content.

Figure 2. Neurosurgical Atlas home page.

The search feature allows users to search across all Neurosurgical Atlas content. This is accessible by selecting either the search bar on the home page or the magnifying glass icon in the top banner, which remains available on all pages of the website. Some advanced searching techniques, such as Boolean operators, appear to be unsupported; however, quotation marks can be used for phrase searching. While utilizing the search function, search results appear in real time as the user types, eliminating uncertainty about the appearance of a search term within Atlas content. The results are listed in the viewing pane with the search terms highlighted, and filter options are available in the left column. Upon selecting one of the search results, users are directed to the section of the Atlas containing the highlighted text.

Figure 3. An example search across all Neurosurgical Atlas content for "occipital lobe."

Additional features of the home page include mechanisms to learn more information about the organization, upcoming clinical fellowship and observership opportunities, and the experts who have contributed to the resource. The home page also provides a brief description of each section of the Atlas and a selection of recently added content. The website does not contain a “help” section, but a link to contact the organization is available in the banner at the bottom of the web page.

As users explore the features and content throughout the resource, they will notice that video illustrations are a strong presence throughout. These videos are noteworthy due to the quality, the comprehensiveness, and the included narration performed by the primary surgeon for the procedure. The entire procedure is typically covered, making this a valuable resource for residents and surgeons to reference in preparation for surgery.³ This database does not currently provide the ability to create a personal account; however, allowing users the ability to customize their experience with features such as highlighting, bookmarking, or saving materials into folders would likely be a valuable addition.

Business Model

Although Neurosurgical Atlas was founded in 2016, it became available to libraries in 2023.³ Authentication can be configured through Shibboleth, Open Athens, and EZProxy, and the platform is compliant with COUNTER usage statistics.⁶ Users without institutional access have the option to sign up for an individual subscription for unlimited access to resource materials for an annual cost of $499. A 30-day free trial is offered prior to committing to the subscription cost.⁵

In addition to subscription options, Neurosurgical Atlas seeks to make its content freely available to individuals who need access through various avenues. Institutions in lower-income countries can obtain free access through the Research4Life program, and individual scholarships can be provided when needed. A selection of resources is also freely available to anyone who visits the website. This selection includes the volumes and operative video cases for “Principles of Cranial Surgery” and “Cranial Approaches,” as well as the most recent 12 months of the Grand Rounds series. This content is marked with a “free” tag throughout the website.⁵ Patient resources are additionally accessible free of cost in order to provide patients with comprehensive information on conditions, procedures, complications, and outcomes related to an upcoming brain surgery.^5,7,8

Breakthrough

The interactive and engaging design of Neurosurgical Atlas paired with the comprehensive quality and specialized scope of its materials make the resource a beneficial reference tool for a variety of health care professionals, as well as medical students who are interested in neurosurgical specialties. Among institutions considering this product, hospital and academic libraries that serve medical schools and residency programs might find the greatest value in licensing the material. It can both supplement course curriculum and serve as a rich addition to the clinical reference collection, working to improve patient healthcare outcomes.

References

1. Neurosurgical Atlas. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.neurosurgicalatlas.com/

2. About. Neurosurgical Atlas. Accessed February 18, 2025. https://www.neurosurgicalatlas.com/about

3. Habib M. The Neurosurgical Atlas: A comprehensive and exclusive multi-media collection that unveils novel and efficient techniques for brain surgery. Webinar presented for: Vanderbilt University; July 20, 2023; Virtual.

4. Contributors. Neurosurgical Atlas. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.neurosurgicalatlas.com/about/contributors

5. Subscriptions & Pricing. Neurosurgical Atlas. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.neurosurgicalatlas.com/pricing

6. Institutions & Libraries. Neurosurgical Atlas. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.neurosurgicalatlas.com/pricing/institutions

7. Atlas Foundation. Neurosurgical Atlas. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.neurosurgicalatlas.com/about/foundation

8. Cohen-Gadol A. The best care for your brain surgery. Updated January 29, 2025. Accessed February 17, 2025. https://www.aaroncohen-gadol.com/en/patients/preface