Contributing Authors: Kiran Khalid, MD and Cynthia A. Pristach, MD
Overview: The Brain Cookie Exercise can be used alone or in combination with the NNCI’s “3-D Brain” module and is similar to the Play-Doh Brain module. It gives participants an opportunity to review basic neuroanatomy using a sagittal section of the brain in the form of a large sugar cookie. Like the Play-Doh Brain exercise, it uses multimodal sensory learning and focuses on identifying major brain structures and associated neurotransmitters, and understanding their basic functions. This module can be modified based on the type and number of participants. For example, junior residents can focus on identification and function of major brain areas while senior residents can use it as a review session, with focus on identification of disorders or medications associated with a specific brain structure. If the exercise is done with a larger group of residents from all years, the Brain Cookie Exercise will likely need to be extended to about 90 minutes.
Author Affiliation: Drs. Khalid and Pristach are from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences University at Buffalo. The National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative is a collaborative effort with the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT) and the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Council on Medical Education and Lifelong Learning and receives grant support from the NIH (R25 MH086466 07S1) ©National Neuroscience Curriculum Initiative.
