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Demystifying neurology: preventing 'neurophobia' among medical students

Nature Clinical Practice Neurology volume 4, pages 461–462 (2008)Cite this article

Józefowicz first coined the term 'neurophobia' to describe ''a fear of the neural sciences and clinical neurology”.1 This common problem worldwide may result in “paralysis of thinking or action”,2 with doctors either performing the neurological examination poorly (or not at all), or indiscriminately referring patients even with simple, common neurological conditions to neurologists in order to avoid having to deal with them.2 Neurophobia is often said to be perpetuated by neurologists who cherish their reputations as the “metaphorical brains of the profession on whose opinion others depend”,2 in order to propagate the myth that neurology is a subject “for which only young Einsteins need apply”.2 Other explanations, however, need to be sought to explain the prevalence of neurophobia.

Neurophobia is a disease of early onset, beginning in medical school.2 Schon et al. surveyed 345 medical students and trainee doctors, who viewed neurology as being far more difficult (and less interesting) than other specialties and confessed to being less confident in the subject. The students attributed these impressions to the need to know basic neuroscience, the fact that neurology is often poorly taught, and the complexity of the neurological examination.3 Other studies have also identified paucity of bedside neurology teaching and limited patient contact as important causes of neurophobia, besides highlighting how widespread the phenomenon is.4

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ECH Lim is Associate Professor of Neurology, Senior Consultant and Assistant Dean (Clinical Education, Admissions and Student Affairs), and RCS Seet is Assistant Professor and Associate Consultant in Neurology, at the National University of Singapore, Singapore.,

    Erle CH Lim & Raymond CS Seet

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  1. Erle CH Lim
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  2. Raymond CS Seet
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Correspondence to Erle CH Lim.

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Lim, E., Seet, R. Demystifying neurology: preventing 'neurophobia' among medical students. Nat Rev Neurol 4, 461–462 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0849

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