Nkenfou Kelvine, Kengo Nathan, Takoutsing Berjo, Bikono Atangana Ernestine Renée, Ngouanfo Josiane, Noumedem Joy, Caleb Nformi, Nkenganyi Aka Elvira, Kamdem Steve, Yossa Karen, Nchufor Roland, Ngounou Eleonore, Ngah Joseph Eloundou, Motah Mathieu, Eyenga Victor-Claude, Ghomsi Nathalie, Esene Ignatius
Research Division, Winners Foundation, Yaounde, Cameroon.
School of Health and Medical Sciences, Catholic University of Cameroon, Bamenda, Cameroon.
Brain Spine. 2025 Apr 21;5:104259. doi: 10.1016/j.bas.2025.104259. eCollection 2025.
Quality education is key in addressing the skilled neurological workforce gap in Africa. However, many medics are scared of the neurological sciences because of the challenges faced in medical schools in studying the neurosciences. Understanding its state and educational challenges is crucial for fostering interest in neurosurgery and related specialities on the continent.
What are the current state, challenges, and solutions to improve neuroanatomy education in Cameroon, Africa in miniature?
A cross-sectional study using an 11-item electronic survey was conducted among medical students from all nine medical schools in Cameroon. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests, with significance set at p < 0.05.
Among 220 respondents, 40.1 % and 35.0 % respectively, reported cranial nerves/brainstem and neurovascular anatomy to be the most challenging, with a mean comprehension score of 5.83/10. Faculty predominantly relied on PowerPoint lectures (83.2 %), while most students supplemented learning with YouTube videos (77.7 %). 63.9 % of the respondents perceived classroom teaching alone to limit their understanding of neuroanatomy, and 85.8 % of students reported the time allocated for neuroanatomy teaching to be inadequate. The usage of cadaver dissection (69.5 %), and neurosimulation practicals (66.4 %) were the most recommended tools by students to improve neuroanatomy teaching.
Challenges in neuroanatomy education in Cameroon are perceived to arise from insufficient hands-on learning, time constraints, and limited access to specialised faculty. These suggest interactive teaching, increased curriculum time, and diverse resources as potential improvements, though further research is needed to assess their effectiveness and ultimately improve understanding, fostering a stronger neurological workforce.
素质教育是解决非洲神经科专业人才短缺问题的关键。然而，由于医学院校在神经科学学习中面临诸多挑战，许多医学专业人员对神经科学感到畏惧。了解非洲大陆神经科学的现状及其教育挑战，对于激发人们对神经外科及相关专业的兴趣至关重要。
非洲喀麦隆神经解剖学教育的现状、挑战及改进措施有哪些？
对喀麦隆所有九所医学院校的医学生进行了一项横断面研究，采用了一份包含11个项目的电子调查问卷。使用描述性统计和独立t检验对数据进行分析，显著性水平设定为p < 0.05。
在220名受访者中，分别有40.1%和35.0%的人表示颅神经/脑干和神经血管解剖学是最具挑战性的，平均理解分数为5.83/10。教师主要依赖PowerPoint讲座（83.2%），而大多数学生通过YouTube视频辅助学习（77.7%）。63.9%的受访者认为仅靠课堂教学限制了他们对神经解剖学的理解，85.8%的学生表示分配给神经解剖学教学的时间不足。学生们最推荐使用尸体解剖（69.5%）和神经模拟实践（66.4%）来改进神经解剖学教学。
喀麦隆神经解剖学教育面临的挑战被认为源于实践学习不足、时间限制以及获取专业教师资源有限。这些问题表明交互式教学、增加课程时间以及多样化资源可能是潜在的改进方向，不过还需要进一步研究来评估其有效性，并最终提高理解水平，培养更强大的神经科专业人才队伍。
