NEUROPHOBIA AS AN EDUCATIONALLY MEDIATED PHENOMENON: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Abstract

Background: Neurophobia, commonly defined as the fear of neurology among medical students and non-specialist physicians, is a persistent and internationally reported problem in medical education. It is often attributed to the intrinsic complexity of neurology, including neuroanatomy, lesion localisation and diagnostic reasoning. However, educational factors such as lack of integration between basic and clinical sciences, fragmented curricula and passive teaching methods have also been consistently identified. This suggests that neurophobia may not be explained by content complexity alone, but also by how neurology is taught and learned.

Methods: This study was designed as a critical review. Literature on neurophobia, neurology education and educational theory was purposefully sampled and reviewed. The aim of the review was not only to summarise the literature but to reinterpret neurophobia through the lens of educational theory and to develop a conceptual framework to explain its emergence and potential mitigation.

Results: The literature suggests that neurophobia is associated with difficulties in knowledge integration, low perceived relevance of neuroscience teaching, passive learning environments, fragmented curricula, high cognitive load and difficulty constructing mental models of neurological function. Educational theories, including meaningful learning theory, adult learning theory, critical pedagogy, curriculum theory, cognitive load theory and analogical learning, provide explanatory frameworks for these difficulties and suggest corresponding educational strategies.

Discussion: This synthesis suggests that neurophobia is primarily an educationally mediated phenomenon resulting from a misalignment between the cognitive demands of neurology and the educational design through which it is taught. Educational theory provides a framework not only to explain neurophobia but also to guide curriculum design and teaching strategies aimed at improving knowledge integration, motivation, clinical reasoning development and student confidence.