Case Study: Anophthalmia

Before class, students prepare to engage with a realistic nursing experience where a young, blind patient has Anophthalmia, a syndrome characterized by the absence of eye tissue development. Students review specific topics related to the nervous system, read through the patient brief, and consider targeted questions for a few days before this class.

In this case scenario, students work together to answer the patient’s questions and explain how the brain is organized and how parts communicate with one another. In Part A, students identify and label deep brain structures and match with their associated functions. Part B has students identify structures of the forebrain and discuss related questions. In Part C, students analyze the pathways involved in four scenarios to determine the sensory areas and motor areas that are stimulated. During the group work, the instructor pauses several times to review progress and answers before the class moves on to the next part.

Finally, students take the remaining 30-40 minutes to work together to complete Part D, where they apply their learning to answer questions regarding the patient case. These responses allow them to properly explain the brain to their young patients.

• Describe how the nervous system is vital to the maintenance of homeostasis.
• Describe the anatomical organization of the nervous system into central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (cranial and spinal nerves).
• Describe the functional organization of the nervous system into the central nervous system and peripheral nervous system (afferent and efferent divisions).
• Locate and give the roles of each of the major parts of the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain.
• Describe the major sensory and motor pathways.