Drawing of a pyramidal cell in the cerebral motor cortex by Santiago Ramon y Cajal (1852-1934). Pyramidal neurons (pyramidal cells) are a type of neuron found in areas of the brain including the cerebral cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala. Pyramidal neurons are the primary excitation units of the mammalian prefrontal cortex and the corticospinal tract. Pyramidal neurons were first discovered and studied by Santiago Ramon y Cajal. Since then, studies on pyramidal neurons have focused on topics ranging from neuroplasticity to cognition. Cajal was a Spanish pathologist, histologist, neuroscientist, and Nobel laureate (1906), and is considered by many to be the father of modern neuroscience.