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"This thesaurus was prepared by examining usage of terms in a large sample of recent, widely-used, general textbooks in both basic neuroanatomy and clinical neurology, written by experts who received their primary professional training in 13 different countries. It contains (1) sets of synonyms including more than 2000 terms; (2) 250 sets of similar-sounding terms that are not synonymous, including brief differential definitions; (3) descriptions of the various conflicting meanings that exist for more than 450 individual terms; and (4) discussions of many general semantic issues, each involving problems with how multiple terms are defined and used in some subarea of neuroanatomy, the neurologic examination, or clinical neurology. In addition, for many terms you will find information on geographical variation in usage, on clinical vs. nonclinical usage, on the historical origins of current conflicting usage, and/or on probable usage in the future. Occasional recommendations to help you avoid semantic ambiguity and inconsistency in your own communications are also given" (Anthoney, op. cit., p. iii).
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