O. Plaisant

A core syllabus for the teaching of neuroanatomy to medical students

There is increasingly a call for clinical relevance in the teaching of biomedical sciences within all health care courses. However, this presupposes that there is a clear understanding of what can be considered core material within the curricula. To date, the anatomical sciences have been relatively poorly served by the development of core syllabuses, particularly for specialized core syllabuses such as neuroanatomy. One of the aims of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA) and of the European Federation for Experimental Morphology (EFEM) is to formulate, on an international scale, core syllabuses for all branches of the anatomical sciences using Delphi Panels consisting of anatomists, scientists, and clinicians to initially evaluate syllabus content. In this article, the findings of a Delphi Panel for neuroanatomy are provided. These findings will subsequently be published on the IFAA website to enable anatomical (and other cognate learned) societies and individual anatomists, clinicians, and students to freely comment upon, and elaborate and amend, the syllabuses. The aim is to set internationally recognized standards and thus to provide guidelines concerning neuroanatomical knowledge when engaged in course development. Clin. Anat. 28:706–716, 2015.

Predictive factors of long-term outcomes of surgery for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy associated with hippocampal sclerosis

The reasons for failure of surgical treatment for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) associated with hippocampal sclerosis (HS) remain unclear. This retrospective study analyzed seizure, cognitive, and psychiatric outcomes, searching for factors associated with seizure relapse or cognitive and psychiatric deterioration after MTLE‐HS surgery.

Sexism and anatomy, as discerned in textbooks and as perceived by medical students at Cardiff University and University of Paris Descartes

Contemporary textbooks of anatomy and surface anatomy were evaluated to ascertain whether they were gender‐neutral. The evidence of this, and previous studies, suggests that, both in terms of imagery and text, many textbooks lack neutrality. To further investigate such matters, we provided second‐year medical students studying at Cardiff University (n = 293) and at the Paris Descartes University (n = 142) during the 2011–2012 academic year with a questionnaire inviting them to address the possibility that social/gender factors hinder the dispassionate representation of anatomy. Ethical approval was obtained from both Cardiff and Paris universities. Eighty‐six percent of the students at Cardiff and 39% at Paris Descartes responded and provided data for analysis. The hypothesis tested is that medical students perceive a gender bias that is reflected in the books they read and the tuition they receive. Our findings suggest that, while students recognise the importance of gender issues and do not wish to associate with sexism, most are unaware of the possible negative aspects of sexism within anatomy. In this respect, the findings do not support our hypothesis. Nevertheless, we recommended that teachers of anatomy and authors of anatomy textbooks should be aware of the possibility of adverse effects on professional matters relating to equality and diversity issues.

LA MODELISATION TRIDIMENSIONNELLE EN MORPHOLOGIE Méthodes, intérêt et résultats

The aim of this paper is to show the major role played by the new computerized imaging tools available today in the fields of morphology and anatomy. For anatomical studies or educational purpose, they enhance the classical techniques. The 3D reconstruction, already used in daily clinical practice, will be the basis for computation of validated volumetric protocols enhancing our diagnosis and prognosis means. It is also a fantastic educational tool: the interactivity makes it simple, efficient, attractive and easily accessible and diffusable. For the research, mathematical modeling of embryogenesis and morphogenesis using finite elements method will open new ways for biomecanics and a dynamic quantification approach.Resume L’objectif de cette mise au point est de montrer le role majeur des nouveaux outils informatiques et d’imagerie qui sont disponibles pour l’etude et l’enseignement des sciences morphologiques et viennent enrichir les techniques anatomiques classiques. La modelisation 3D est de plus en plus utilisee au quotidien en pathologie clinique, elle servira de base pour valider des indices morphometriques et volumetriques qui viendront enrichir nos evaluations diagnostiques et pronostiques. Pour l’enseignement de l’anatomie, elle constitue un progres majeur par sa simplicite, par l’efficacite de ses outils interactifs et par sa diffusion aisee. Dans le domaine de la recherche, la reconstruction 3D vectorielle permet une meilleure apprehension de l’embryogenese et de la morphogenese par l’utilisation de la methode des elements finis qui permet de nouvelles approches biomecaniques et dynamiques quantifiees.

The attitudes of medical students in Europe toward the clinical importance of embryology.

Although there have been many studies reporting the attitudes of medical students to the clinical importance of gross anatomy, little is known about their opinions concerning the clinical importance of embryology. Using Thurstone and Chave methods to assess attitudes, nearly 1,600 medical students across Europe in the early stages of their training provided responses to a survey that tested the hypothesis that they do not regard embryology as highly clinically relevant. Indeed, we further proposed that student attitudes to gross anatomy are much more positive than those toward embryology. Our findings show that our hypotheses hold, regardless of the university and country surveyed and regardless of the teaching methods employed for embryology. Clearly, embryology has a significant part to play in medical education in terms of understanding prenatal life, of appreciating how the organization of the mature human body has developed, and of providing essential information for general medical practice, obstetrics and pediatrics, and teratology. However, while newly recruited medical students understand the importance of gross anatomy in the development of professional competence, understanding the importance of embryology requires teachers, medical educationalists, and devisors of medical curricula to pay special attention to informing students of the significant role played by embryology in attaining clinical competence and achieving the knowledge and understanding of the biomedical sciences that underpins becoming a learned member of a health care profession. Clin. Anat. 29:144–150, 2016.

Sexism within anatomy as perceived by professional anatomists and in comparison with the perceptions of medical students

Two hundred and eight professional anatomists responded to a questionnaire inviting them to address the possibility that social/gender factors hinder the dispassionate representation of anatomy. Ethical approval for the study was obtained from Cardiff University. The results of the survey provided comparisons with the attitudes of medical students that have previously been reported (Morgan et al., 2014). Although a few differences were discerned between females and males in our surveys and between anatomists and medical students, overall our findings suggest that, while both professional anatomists and medical students recognize the importance of gender issues and do not wish to associate with sexism, most are unaware of the possible negative aspects of sexism within anatomy. We recommend that teachers of anatomy should become more aware of the possibility of adverse effects on professional matters relating to equality and diversity issues. Clin. Anat. 29:892–910, 2016.

Anatomists’ perceptions of the skills and attributes required of newly-recruited medical students

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Admission procedures for recruiting students to medical school vary considerably across the world. Notwithstanding such variability, it is important to know what skills and attributes (including attitudes and personality traits) are required of the students by their teachers on entering medical school. PROCEDURES Anatomists are often the teachers who first meet the students as they enter medical school and this report analyses, by means of a paper-based questionnaire, the putative skills required of their medical students by anatomists from the U.S.A. and Europe. Questionnaires were distributed to 150 anatomists, of varying ages and teaching experience, with 108 responding with completed questionnaires (i.e. 72% returns). FINDINGS The findings from a questionnaire suggest that there are few differences between anatomists in the U.S.A. and Europe, even though medical students are postgraduates in the U.S.A. but undergraduates in Europe. Furthermore, the skill requirements expected of the students differed only slightly according to the gender and age of the anatomists and to whether or not they had clinical qualifications. In order of perceived importance, the most important skills and attributes required of the students were found to be: good study skills, memory/factual retention, conscientiousness, emotional stability, understanding of biology (but not chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, or understanding of the scientific method), life-long learning skills, ability to study independently, problem-solving abilities, readiness to be challenged, communication skills, and teamwork skills. CONCLUSIONS Anatomists within the U.S.A. and Europe essentially agree on the skills and attributes initially required of their medical students, as well as those not deemed initially important. These findings are presented with the view of enhancing admission policies and procedures for admitting students into medical schools.

Medical students and professional anatomists do not perceive gender bias within imagery featuring anatomy

Previous studies suggest that, while both medical students and professional anatomists recognize the importance of gender issues and do not wish to associate with sexism, most are unaware of the possible negative aspects of sexism within anatomy (Morgan et al. , J. Anat. 224:352–365; , Clin. Anat. 29:892–910). To further investigate this issue, we provided second year medical students at Cardiff University (n = 293) and at the University of Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité (n = 142) and professional anatomists (n = 208) with a questionnaire inviting them to address the possibility that gender factors within anatomical imagery (both historical and contemporary) hinder the dispassionate representation of anatomy. Ethical approval for the survey was obtained from the universities at both Cardiff and Paris. In the light of previous findings, the hypothesis tested was that medical students and professional anatomists do not perceive a gender bias when reflected in imagery that is based on anatomical iconography. Our survey results support this hypothesis and suggest that most students and anatomists are unaware of the possible negative aspects of sexism within the culture of anatomy. We consequently recommend that teachers of anatomy and authors of anatomical textbooks should be aware of the possibility of adverse effects on professional matters relating to equality and diversity issues when using imagery. Clin. Anat. 30:711–732, 2017.

RECONSTRUCTION TRIDIMENSIONNELLE DES PLEXUS VEINEUX VERTÉBRAUX INTERNES ET ANTÉRIEURS D'UN FŒTUS HUMAIN : ÉTUDE DE FAISABILITÉ

Resume Les plexus veineux vertebraux internes et anterieurs ont fait l’objet de nombreuses etudes du fait de leur importance clinique dans les pathologies de la colonne vertebrale et les interruptions de la veine cave inferieure. Le but de cette etude de faisabilite est de realiser une reconstruction 3D de l’espace epidural anterieur thoracique bas d’un fœtus humain de 69 mm vertex-coccyx de la Collection Rouviere de 1927. Quarante coupes (espacees de 40 μm) au niveau des dixieme et onzieme vertebres thoraciques et des disques intervertebraux sous-jacents ont servi pour la reconstruction 3D realisee par le logiciel SURFdriver. Dans une etude preliminaire, les structures de l’espace epidural sont apparues a ce stade deja en place et comparables a celles de l’âge adulte (2002) ; la reconstruction 3D a partir des coupes microscopiques a permis de mieux visualiser les plexus veineux et leurs rapports et represente donc un complement aux etudes histologiques.

Intérêt de la reconstruction 3D et de la modélisation en anatomie

Objectifs Montrer l’interet et les nombreuses applications de la reconstruction 3D en anatomie utilisant les fonctions de la realite virtuelle. Resultats Ces progres interessent principalement trois grands domaines en anatomie. 1. L’anatomie « clinique » c’est a dire les investigations radiologiques des patients 2. L’enseignement de l’anatomie : l’interactivite associee au realisme des reconstructions 3D et a la possibilite de vision en relief en font un outil pedagogique hors pair, attractif et evolutif, autorisant de plus le tele-enseignement sur internet. 3. La recherche en anatomie : la reconstruction 3D permet en effet une analyse quantitative dans l’espace tridimensionnel des donnees anatomiques, c’est a dire des etudes morphometriques precises des organes et des structures anatomiques, grâce a une modelisation mathematique par elements finis Conclusion La modelisation 3D est un outil pedagogique inegalable en anatomie. De plus, elle ouvre de nouvelles voies de recherche permettant des etudes dynamiques quantifiees de l’embyogenese et de l’organogenese. Enfin, dans un futur proche elle va s’enrichir de l’imagerie fonctionnelle et de l’imagerie a l’echelle cellulaire.