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Integration of embryology and neuroanatomy
Author(s) -
Haines Duane E.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.89.2
Subject(s) - neuroanatomy , embryology , anatomy , context (archaeology) , neuroscience , neural tube , process (computing) , brainstem , biology , encephalocele , brain development , psychology , medicine , computer science , paleontology , embryo , microbiology and biotechnology , operating system
The method of integrating embryology and neuroanatomy within a medical curriculum is diverse and reflects the educational environment/style at any given school. It may range from the cellular‐molecular approach, which is covered by other speakers, to a more regional and systems approach, which is the method used at UMMC. The integration of embryology into our Medical Neurobiology course utilizes the following general approaches. First, we have excellent cooperation from our clinical colleagues when it comes to participation in our course; we test on all these sessions. Second, we use the development of the brain when describing: 1) the transition from neural tube to three and then to five brain vesicles, 2) the development of a complex ventricular system from the rostral portion of a simple neurocele, 3) the development of the choroids plexus, and 4) the development of the meninges. Within the context of these topics many correlations are made between developmental sequences and the corresponding defects that may appear in the newborn. Third, the topography of the alar and basal laminae in the developing spinal cord is used as the basis for understanding the structure, relationships, and function the spinal cord grey matter. The same embryological structures are especially useful in understanding the organization, and particularly the function, of cranial nerve nuclei within the brainstem. In fact, it is difficult to consider cranial nerves, central or peripheral, without reference to the alar and basal laminae. Fourth, MRIs of developmental defects are used to illustrate how normal brain structure may be altered and how this may correlate with deficits experienced by the patient. These approaches will be discussed and illustrated with images used in our course.