Diseases Central Nervous System 2024

Unlocking ALS – An Infographic Guide - Team 4

Media Type: Infographic

Summary

team_04_image.jpgThe topic for our PULSE experiential assignment is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig disease. The devastating neurodegenerative disease known as ALS affects motor neurons; ALS has no known cause or cure and primarily affects those between the ages of 50 and 60. This disease weakens muscles and leads to disruption of voluntary control of the body. Ultimately, the disease is fatal as it eventually leads to respiratory failure. In order to communicate and explain ALS to a wider audience, we decided to create an infographic. Unlike typical heavy text publications, such as textbooks, this format allows us to communicate scientific knowledge on ALS in a visually appealing way that is easier to both read and understand. The main features of ALS, its symptoms, diagnosis, pathology, pathogenesis, and statistics are summarized in our infographic in brief points accompanied by colourful images. In addition to their visual appeal, infographics can help simplify complex concepts and reach a large audience. We decided on ALS as our topic because despite the condition being well known, there are many misconceptions that surround it. Our aim is that this infographic will provide simple and accurate information, allowing for an enhanced general understanding of ALS. At the same time, we can raise awareness for the difficulties of the disease and the critical need for future research. The benefit of raising awareness for ALS can help increase funding and support for research to find new future treatments or possibly even a cure. In summary, by providing this accessible overview of the disease, we hope to improve understanding and reduce misinterpretations about ALS to a broader audience.

Keywords: Neurodegeneration, Muscle atrophy, Motor Dysfunction, Cytoplasmic Protein Inclusions, Protein Misfolding, Genetic Predisposition

Pathology in Review: Issue 1 - Neuropathology - Team 42

Media Type: Review Book

Summary

team_42_image.jpgThe topic outlined in our PULSE assignment is neuropathology. We chose to present this topic in a review book, outlining the foundational concepts of neuropathology in a way that is visually appealing, and easily understood. Our review book covers topics: neuroanatomy essentials, neuropathologies (i.e. traumas, acute conditions, etc.), infections of the nervous system, neurodegenerative diseases, neurologic cancers, and perinatal and congenital conditions.

In each section, we integrated interesting facts/figures, and exam-style multiple choice questions to further engage readers in the topic. At the end of our review book, we included an index with thorough solutions to the provided multiple choice questions.

We chose this topic and format because we determined a need for an easily-comprehensible resource that students/those interested in the topic would want to use in studying neuropathology. We took a top-down approach to emphasize the most important and foundational concepts of neuropathology, thus making it more accessible and applicable to the reader’s learning/life.

Our resource is impactful as it presents neuropathology in a learner-friendly format, that is accessible to those studying pathology, or simply those interested in learning the basics. Our resource is also innovative as many of the current resources surrounding pathology are very complex, and created for people in the field. Our resource is different in that it simplifies the topic, without excluding key topics. In creating this deliverable we ultimately aimed to generate a document that, as current pathology students, we think future learners would find helpful and effective in studying the complex, yet fascinating topic of neuropathology.

Keywords: Neuropathology, Engaging, Straightforward, Innovative, Applicable, Practical