Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Brain Death Induction in Mice Using Intra-Arterial Blood Pressure Monitoring and Ventilation via Tracheostomy
Published on: April 17, 2020
Teaching the concept of brain death in undergraduate medical education
Markus Holling1, Walter Stummer1, Hendrik Friederichs2
1Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany.
Objective:
To establish and evaluate a new approach to teach medical students how to assess brain death in patients.
Design, Setting, And Participants:
A total of 120 fourth-year medical students at Münster Medical School (Germany) participated in a 1-hour lecture on how to assess brain death in patients. After this lecture, students were assigned to 2 groups. One group attended an additional practical course on the evaluation of brain death and received training using a new high-fidelity simulation device. The other group did not participate in any additional training session. All students completed a questionnaire before the lecture and a second questionnaire at the conclusion of the study. For the group undergoing the additional training, the second questionnaire was completed after the additional training session.
Results:
The additional practical training session significantly improved the students' performance in assessing brain death and promoted the self-assessment and motivation of the medical students.
Conclusions:
The establishment of a new practical teaching concept led to significant improvements in medical students' assessments of brain death in a practical session. These improvements in medical education could have significant implications for the clinical assessment of patients in the future.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Brainstem: Control Centers of Medulla
Olivary Nucleus
The olivary nucleus, or inferior olivary nucleus, is located within the ventrolateral part of the medulla oblongata. It is primarily involved in motor coordination and motor learning. The olivary nucleus receives input from the spinal cord, cerebellum, and motor...
01:19Brainstem
The Midbrain
The midbrain is located beneath the diencephalon and connects the cerebrum with the lower parts of the brain. The cerebral peduncles are prominent midbrain structures that house the...
01:30Overview of Cell Death
Cell death was observed in the early 19th century, but there was no experimental evidence to prove it. In 1842, Carl Vogt first discovered cell death in a metamorphic toad; however, it was not termed ‘cell death.’ Scientists discovered different cell death pathways only in the...