Using the Brains We Have: Dissection of the human brain assists the medical student in learning and retaining neuroanatomy

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate short and long‐term effects of adding a brain dissection activity to a medical neuroscience course. First‐year medical students participated in a brain dissection activity that included dissection of the basal nuclei and associated deep brain structures. Short‐term retention was assessed by administering identical pre and post‐activity tests involving identification of brain structures. The assessment consisted of items that were included in the brain dissection protocol (deep structures), and also items that were not part of the dissection protocol (superficial structures). Following the brain dissection, the students' ability to identify deep brain structures increased significantly (mean score: 72.0%±20.8%), while their ability to identify superficial structures remained the same (64.25%±16.25%). Long‐ term retention was evaluated by conducting an identical assessment five months after completion of the course. Students who participated in the dissection activity (n= 81) had significantly higher scores (49.31%± 20.6%) than the students who did not participate in the dissection activity (n=86) (40.5%± 19.2%) (p 蠄 0.01). In addition to the long‐term retention assessment, the NMBE subject examination scores of students who participated in the dissection activity were significantly higher than the students who did not participate in the dissection activity (p 蠄 0.01). A short brain dissection activity may improve students' ability to learn neuroanatomy. This effect may have long‐term benefits on knowledge retention and may be correlated with performance level on standardized subject exams.