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