| GOAL: To provide varied learning opportunities, which assist the first-year medical student in developing a strong structural, functional, and clinically relevant knowledge base in the neurosciences.
OBJECTIVES: At the completion of this course, the student should understand the…
1. …basic cell biology of the CNS emphasizing the correlation between structure and function of neurons and their supporting cells.
2. …basic chemical, physical, and molecular properties of the neuronal membrane enabling nerve impulse conduction; be able to describe clinical manifestations of membrane potential failure.
3. …principles and basic molecular biology of chemical synaptic transmission and synaptic integration; be able to describe clinical manifestations of synaptic failure.
4. …developmental organization of the central nervous system and the pathogenesis of selected developmental neurologic abnormalities.
5. …biochemistry, connections, receptor mechanisms, and functional characteristics of the neurochemical systems (monoaminergic, cholinergic, peptidergic, amino acids); understand how the neurochemical systems are involved in the pathophysiology of various neurologic disorders.
6. …anatomy of the cerebrospinal fluid system; describe and trace the formation, circulation and absorption of CSF; be able to give examples of general pathological conditions that result from increased intracranial pressure.
7. …anatomy and physiology of the blood-brain barrier and be able to describe some strategies for delivering drugs across the blood-brain barrier.
8. …vascular supply and venous drainage of the central nervous system; be able to localize a vascular lesion within the neuraxis and identify the blood vessels supplying that area.
9. …anatomy of the spinal cord including the distribution and function of different cell types and the location and function of the longitudinal systems; be able to give examples of specific spinal cord disorders.
10. …anatomy and function of central systems for the control of eye movement; be able to describe the abnormalities of ocular motility that result from lesions of the ocular motor system.
11. …anatomy, physiology, and symptoms and signs associated with neurologic dysfunction for each of the following systems: somatosensory, motor, visual, auditory, vestibular, limbic, chemical senses.
12. …anatomy of the consciousness system and how it regulates consciousness, attention, wakefulness and sleep, and modulates cortical reactivity to stimuli; be able to locate anatomical lesions that result in a loss of consciousness; know the physiologic basis for the EEG and its clinical relevance.
13. …neural systems responsible for emotional experience and expression.
14. …anatomy, cellular and molecular mechanisms thought to underlie learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity.
15. …location of specialized language areas in the brain; be able to describe various types of aphasia and their causes.
16. …pathologic reactions of neurons to injury and the cellular and molecular mechanisms of nerve regeneration.
17. …anatomical, histological characteristics, and functional organization of the cerebral cortex; understand the pathophysiology of seizures.
18. …origin, pathways, and termination of the main afferent and efferent connections of the brain structures (hypothalamus, pituitary, ANS) responsible for controlling those visceral, endocrine, and behavior functions that maintain the internal environment of the body in response to internal and external changes; be able to describe clinical manifestations of hypothalamic, pituitary, and ANS dysfunction.
19. …anatomy and function of the cranial nerves; be able to describe signs and symptoms of lesions affecting the cranial nerves.
The student should
20. …begin developing skills in clinical thinking, which should include both a preliminary knowledge of symptoms and signs of some basic neurologic disorders, and the ability to know where and what the lesion is in the CNS when given clinical cases.
21. …solve case-based problems in which the scope of analysis illustrates and reinforces basic neuroscience principles, neuroanatomic relationships, principles of systems organization, and functional correlates.
22. …develop the skill and methodology for using information technology in clinical neuroscience problem solving.
23. …successfully complete the neuroimaging self-study component. |
