Date Posted: December 29, 2020
Contributing Authors: Tessa Manning, MD and Ashley Walker, MD
Overview: A basic understanding of central nervous system structures and pathways is essential for the practicing clinician to understand the pathophysiology of psychiatric illnesses and pharmacologic mechanisms of action. However, this information is typically presented to medical learners during early basic science years and not reviewed later after clinical work has begun. It is especially important for clinical learners to review basic neuroanatomy to incorporate burgeoning neuroscientific research into practice, read and interpret neurologic imaging studies, and understand the targets and clinical effects of neuromodulation procedures. The structures identified in this activity can specifically be used to improve learners’ knowledge of the brain’s central functions of movement, sensory processing, emotional regulation, and memory formation.
Author Affiliation: Dr. Manning is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. Dr. Walker is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at The University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. The National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative receives support from the National Institutes of Health Grant Nos. R25 MH08646607S1 and R44 MH115546-01 ©National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative.
