Barts and The London, School of Medicine and Dentistry
Print

Modules

Year 1 BB1: Brain and Behaviour 1

Teaching Material for this Module

Introduction

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

1. To describe the main pathways by which the sensory modalities of low threshold cutaneous sensation (touch, pressure and vibration), pain and proprioception are transmitted from the periphery to the brain.

2. To describe the pathways for the special senses of hearing and vision

3. To be able to state the location of where these pathways crossover (decussate) in the nervous system.

4. To be able to perform the basic tests used to assess the integrity and the clinical signs associated with damage to the main ascending and descending pathways.

5. To outline the main components of the motor system with particular emphasis on the monosynaptic reflex and the corticospinal (pyramidal) tract.

6. To be able to test monosynaptic reflexes, explain their clinical significance, and how to recognise damage to the motor system.

7. To describe the origin, organisation and functions of the cranial nerves, the basic tests used to assess their integrity and the clinical signs associated with damage to them.

8. To be able to relate the main functional regions of the cortex to specific lobes of the brain.

9. To recognise major parts of the central nervous system and vascular system using modern imaging techniques.

10. To be able to describe the distribution of the principal arteries of the brain and spinal cord and the main functional areas of the brain and spinal cord that they supply.

11. To be able to locate specific cutaneous dermatomes on various parts of the body.