how to study the nervous system in anatomy?

[shreypete]

hey guys, I just wanted to know if you guys can give me any tips on how to study the nervous system in anatomy. Currently we're doing the heart, but in about a week we'll be sarting the nervous system and my profs. say that it's actually quite hard and confusing.

Are there any good techniques to study this topic? thanks a lot.

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[TXSurgResident]

I relied heavily on "clinical neuroanatomy made ridiculously simple" (albeit many moons ago!). I didn't think the actual anatomy is super-hard, but getting a handle on the "if the patient has these symptoms, where is the lesion"- type questions is important and challenging. This book and that big atlas that had dissection pictures on one page and cartoon-type wiring diagrams on the other helped me do pretty well (can remember the name, sorry). Hope that helps.

 

[Blade28]

Lots and LOTS of repetition.

 

[smq123]

hey guys, I just wanted to know if you guys can give me any tips on how to study the nervous system in anatomy. Currently we're doing the heart, but in about a week we'll be sarting the nervous system and my profs. say that it's actually quite hard and confusing.

Are there any good techniques to study this topic? thanks a lot.

Draw the neural pathways out over and over and over again.

If you need a "study break" these quizzes are kind of entertaining, but surprisingly useful: http://library.med.utah.edu/kw/animations/hyperbrain/pathways/

 

[-Goose-]

http://www.amazon.com/High-Yield-Ne...bs_sr_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206018327&sr=8-5

 

[shreypete]

thank you guys.

 

[Chemguync]

I grabbed a stack of blank printer paper, traced cross-sectional images of the brain from my computer screen, and labeled the sections till I could do it from scratch. Same w/ the pathways, draw 'em out till you can do it w/o cheating. Usually took me about 5-10 times till I was set for a week or so

 

[ZagDoc]

Lots and LOTS of repetition.

Agreed. I found it helpful to have study partner for the head and neck in anatomy. Someone to force you to recite the paths of all the different fibers for each nerve.

It seems insurmountable when you first start learning it. But as your memorize the larger picture the smaller exceptions become easier to integrate.

I'm a drawer, but found the cranial nerves difficult because they follow such circuitous 3 dimensional paths. Here's what I did:

1) Learn the skull. Head and neck was the only time I busted out the bone box. Its a lot easier to remember routes when you can recite all the different foramens and have a general idea of where they exist on a 3 dimensional skull. This will also help for the lab practical.

2) Memorize the gross paths of the nerves. Memorize the general path of the 3 arms of the trigeminal, etc.

3) Learn what all the nerves do. Knowing function helps with context.

4) Learn the specifics. PNS fibers, nerves that hitchhike, etc. It's easier to learn them when you know the roads they're travelling down.