A Day at the Clinic: Nervous System- Diseases and Disorders Mini-Case Studies

This activity includes 7 mini case studies on disorders of the nervous system (Alzheimer’s disease, migraines, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and more).

Each case involves a patient who presents with symptoms and students will come up with a diagnosis by identifying key symptoms, determine diagnostic tests, offer treatment options, and finally, discuss the prognosis for the condition.

Teachers can determine the depth of student response and whether students work independently or with a partner.

Ideal for an anatomy and physiology or human body course and can be used as classwork or as a project.

Suggested answer key provided.

Note: These scenarios are designed for educational purposes only. In reality, it often takes a long time to diagnose neurological conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, or Multiple Sclerosis. When teaching about these disorders, I share with my students that symptoms can be intermittent or vague (like fatigue) for some time, which makes a definitive diagnosis difficult to obtain.