Welcome to the Medical Neuroscience Course Web Site

David E. Blask, PhD, MD, Director
Medical Neuroscience, 2012 

The overarching theme of the Medical Neuroscience course is that nervous system disorders can be understood in terms of neuroanatomical and physiological mechanisms; links between function and dysfunction are consistently shown. Individual topics include organization, function and dysfunction (e.g., lesion effects) of spinal cord, brainstem, cerebral cortex, and subcortical regions. They include the cranial nerve, mental status, motor, and neuro-ophthalmological exams. Information on current neuroradiological testing is also included.

Clinical topics include Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, cerebellar disorders, upper motor neuron vs. lower motor neuron disorders; in brief: Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, and schizophrenia; the EEG and epilepsy, cerebral blood flow regulation and stroke. Disorders of cerebral function that are also treated include aphasias, apraxias, and (visual) agnosias, as well as disorders of memory, emotional dysfunction, and addiction.

At the end of this course the students should be conversant with the unique and large vocabulary as relates to central nervous system structure, function, concepts, and disorders (e.g., medial lemniscus, compound action potentials, upper motor neuron, aphasias).