PURPOSE
The discipline of neuroanatomy frequently triggers neurophobia in learners.
Defined as the fear of the neural sciences and clinical neurology that is due
to the student’s inability to apply their knowledge of basic sciences to
clinical situations, neurophobia can discourage learners from entering the
field of neurology and prompt unnecessary patient referrals to specialists.
To combat neurophobia in first-year medical students, innovative active
learning exercises were introduced to clarify how neuroanatomical
structure-function relationships underlie human health and how
neuroanatomical lesions underlie disease/disorders of the central nervous
system (CNS).
METHODS
Active learning exercises were created using a question-and-answer format
that challenges learners to identify normal physiological functions of
neuroanatomical structures and to correlate signs and symptoms of
neurological disease/disorders with lesions in specific neuroanatomical
locations. Each exercise is structured around videos or sets of CTs or MRIs
from patients, animations of simulated patients, or photos of CNS gross
specimens or of histological/pathological sections of CNS tissue. The Q&A
format introduces an element of gamification that allows students to approach
the exercises as either a collaborative effort or a competition, thereby
driving student interest. It also allows practice with prognostication, i.e.,
“What sign or symptom would the patient exhibit if this structure was
lesioned?”
RESULTS
Course evaluation data demonstrate that learners appreciate these active
learning exercises as powerful learning tools. Several have been
peer-reviewed and published by the Global Neuroanatomy Network (GNN).
CONCLUSIONS
Prompting learners to practice identifying CNS structure-function relations
in images or videos helps increase their confidence in mastering
neuroanatomy. Using the Q&A format to create active learning exercises
based on neuroimages or videos of patients, photos of CNS specimens, or
materials from the GNN is a relatively easy strategy for combatting
neurophobia in learners who are preparing to care for patients with
neurological diseases/disorders.