Neurosciences Mnemonics: Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain
A
Argyll-Robertson Pupil features
- Argyll Robertson Pupil (ARP)
- Read it from front to back: it is ARP, standing for Accomodation Reflex P
- Read it from back to front: it is PRA, standing for Pupillary Reflex A
- Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/
Auditory pathway: mandatory stops: “Come In My Baritone”:
- Cochlear nucleus
- Inferior colliculus
- Medial geniculate nucleus
- Brodmann’s 41 (cortex)
- Author: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
B
Basal ganglia: indirect vs. direct pathway
- The Indirect pathway In
- Direct pathway is hence the excitatory one.
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
Branchial arches: cranial nerve innervation: In Sensory/Motor/Both mnemonic ‘Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Boobs Matter More’, the B‘s also give Brancial arch nerves in order:
- But (CN 5): 1st arch
- Brother (CN7): 2nd arch
- Big (CN9): 3rd arch
- Boobs (CN 10): 4th arch
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
Broca’s vs. Wernick’s area: effect of damage to speech center: “Broca”: your speech machinery is Brok
- Broca is wanting to speak, but articulation doesn’t work, and very slow.
- “Wer–nick“: “were” and “nick” are both words of English language, but together they are nonsensical.
- Wernick is having good articulation, but saying words that don’t make sense together.
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
C
Cerebellar damage symptoms: VANISHeD:
- Vertigo
- Ataxia
- Nystagmus
- Intention tremor
- Slurred speech
- Hypotonic reflexes
- D
- Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/
Cerebellar deep nuclei: “Ladies Demand Exceptional Generosity From Men”:
- The 4 nuclei, from lateral to medial:
- [Lateral]
- Dentate
- Emboliform
- Globose
- Fastigial
- [Medial]
- Author: Nick Loman St. Bart’s/Royal London
Cerebellar functional areas: Anatomical shape/location of cerebellar areas is a key to their function and related tract.
- Vermis = Spinocerebellar = Axial
- Vermis: right down the axis of cerebellum, and vertically segmented like a spinal
- Flocculonodular lobe = Vestibulocerebellar = Ear, eye, body coordination.
- Flocculonodular lobe: flares out to the edges, just like ears.
- Hemispheres of cerebellum = Cerebrocerebellar = Peripheral
- Hemispheres: around periphery of cerebellum, and tract to cerebral hemispheres.
- Author: Neil Bratney, M1 U. Nebraska Med Ctr
Coronal section of brain: structures: “In Extreme Conditions Eat People’s Guts Instead of Their Hearts”:
- From insula to midline:
- Insula
- Extreme capsule
- Claustrum
- External capsule
- Putamen
- Globis pallidus
- Internal capsule
- Thalamus
- Hypothalamus
- Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/
Cranial nerves: “On Old Olympus Towering Tops, A Finn And German Viewed Some Hops”:
- In order from 1 to 12:
- Olfactory
- Optic
- Occulomotor
- Trochlear
- Trigeminal
- Abducens
- Facial
- Auditory [or Vestibulocochlear]
- Glossopharyngeal
- Vagus
- Accessory [or Spinal root of the accessory]Hypoglossal
- Alternatively:”Oh! Oh! Oh! To Touch And Feel A Girls Vagina, Ah! Heaven!”.
- Alternatively: “Oh, Oh, Oh, To Touch And Feel Virgin Girls Vaginas And Hymens”.
- Author: Anurag Gupta Dept of Surgery, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia
Cranial nerves: olfactory and optic numbers: “You have two eyes and one nose“:
- Optic nerve is cranial nerve two.
- Olfactory nerve is cranial nerve one.
- Alternatively, note alphabetical order: oLfactory, and oP
- Author: Rajael Somaskanthan Medical student, Royal Free and UCL Medical School
Cranial nerves: sensory, motor or both: “Some Say Marry Money But My Brother Says Big Brains Matter More”:
- From I to XII:
- Sensory
- Sensory
- Motor
- Motor
- Both
- Motor
- Both
- Sensory
- Both
- Both
- Motor
- Motor
- Alternatives for “Brains”: Boobs, Buns, Bras.
- Author: Michael Nawfal
CSF circulation: function of choroid vs. arachnoid granules
- Choroid Creates CSF.
- Arachnoid granules Absorb CSF.
- Author: Jason Galarneau Flinders University, Australia
D
Dysphagia vs. dysphasia
- DysphaSia is for Speech
- DysphaGia is for your Gut [swallowing].
- Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/
G
GABA vs. Glu: the excitatory vs. inhibitory transmitter in brain (eg in basal ganglia)
- When you Glue two things together, you add (+) those things together, therefore Glu is the excitatory one (+).
- GABA is therefore the negative one.
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
Geniculate bodies: medial vs. lateral system: MALE:
- Medial=A Lateral=Eye.
- Medial geniculate body is for auditory system, lateral geniculate body is for visual system.
- Can expand to MALES to remember Lateral=Eye=Superior colliculus (thus medial is inferior colliculus by default).
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
H
Hypothalamus: feeding vs. satiety center: “Stim the lat, get fat“:
- Stimulating lateral increases hunger.
- “Stim the ven, get thin“:
- Stimulating ventromedial increases satiety.
- Author: Ryan Hendren University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
L
Lower vs. upper motor neuron lesion effects
- “STORM, Baby“
- ‘In a Lower motor neuron lesion, everything goes Down:
- STORM Baby tells you effects:
- Strength
- Tone
- Other
- Reflexes
- Muscle mass
- Babinski’s sign
In Lower all things go down: strength, tone, reflexes, muscle mass, and the big toe down in plantar reflex (Babinski’s sign is big toe up: toe
up = UMNL).
-
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
M
Meninges: layers in orderPAD:
- Piamater
- Arachnoid
- Dura
- Author: Mohammed Azizuddin Ahmed Indian Medical Counci
O
Olivary nuclei: ear vs. eye roles
- Superior Olivary nucleus: SOund localization.
Inferior olivary nucleus is therefore the one for sight [tactile, proprioception also].
-
- Author: Miruna Segarceanu UMF Carol Davila, Bucharest, Romania
P
Precentral vs. postcentral gyrus: motor vs. sensory
- Just an extension of the rule that anterior = ventral = efferent = motor.
- The precentral gyrus is on the anterior side of the brain, so is therefore motor.
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
Purkinje cells in cerebellum are inhibitory to deep nuclei
- Shape of a purkinje cell in 3 dimensions is same as a policeman’s hand saying “Stop”.
- Therefore, purkinje cells are inhibitory.
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
S
Spinal cord: converting ventral/ anterior/ motor/ efferent and dorsal/ posterior/ sensory/ afferent
- A limousine:
- The motor of limo is ventral and anterior on the car.
- The Aerial is sensory and on the dorsal and posterior of the limo.
- Note 1: ‘A‘ is Afferent, and also, in a limo, the aerial on the top of the trunk has a capital ‘A‘ shape.
- Note 2: An aerial is a sensory thing: picks up radio waves.
- Note 3: If picked a limo up in your hand, can only see motor on ventral, since dorsal is covered by the hood/bonnet.
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
Spinal tracts: Gracilus vs. Cuneatus: origin from upper vs. lower limbs
- Gracilus is the name of a muscle in the legs, so Fasciculus Gracilus is for the lower limbs.
- By default, Fasciculus Cuneatus must be for upper limbs.
- Author: Jason Galarneau Flinders University
Spinal tracts: simplified geography
- 2 posterior: cross at the medulla.
- 2 lateral: ipsilateral (same side).
- 2 anterior: cross at the spinal level.
- See diagram.
- Note 1: Descending tracts on left of figure, ascending tracts on right.
- Note 2: For ipsilaterals: one never crosses, one crosses at the level then doubles back farther up. The
- ipsilateral that crosses at the level (ventral spinocerebellar) is the ipsilateral closest to the 2 anterior ones,
- which also cross at the level.
- Tract names in each group:
- Posterior 2: lateral corticalspinal, dorsal columns. Lateral 2: dorsal spinocerebellar, ventral spinocerebellar. Anterior 2: ventral corticospinal,
-
- Author: Robert O’Connor University College Dublin
T
Thirst/water balance control centre: location in hypothalamus
- “You look up (supra…optic) at the clouds, to check if it’s going to rain (water)”:
- Therefore, water balance is in supraoptic nucleus.
- Author: Zeiad Fakhouri
V
Ventricle aperatures: converting the two nomenclature types
- Magendie foramen is the Medial aperture.
- Luschka foramen is the Lateral aperture.
- Reference: http://medicalmnemonics.com/
