For the specialty of radiology the development of the x-ray was just the beginning, for years later another inventor makes a new breakthrough in modern medicine. This development is made by British electrical engineer Godfrey Hounsfield in 1967 This has one special implication for the specialty of Neuroradiology as the CAT or "computerized axial tomography" scanner is born, in medical terminology the term tomography refers to the ability to view a particular part of the body eliminating views of the x-ray shadows that bones and/or organs throw in front of and behind that view. First generation CAT scanners although primitive were able to provide the first 3D images of the human brain this tool has adversely affected the outcome of patients suffering from head injuries, strokes, tumors, cancers, and other illness and diseases.
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In a world where rapid advancements and revolutionary breakthroughs are on the horizon all occurring in modern medicine at such a rapid pace, the field of Neuroradiology is no exception. The first diagnostic imaging technique to be used, now considered somewhat extinct in the specialty of neurodiagnology was the x-ray. The x-ray was born in on November 8, 1895 by Wilhelm Conrad R RÖntgen who inadvertently made his discovery while an image cast from his cathode ray projector (Bellis) emitted rays far beyond the range of the cathode rays (now known as the electron beam). Upon further investigation it was discovered that the rays were not deflected by magnetic materials and in fact penetrated many kinds of materials.