Undergraduate health professional students' perceptions of neuroanatomy: A cross-sectional study

Neuroanatomy is a foundational component of undergraduate education for health professionals, including students in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology. Negative perceptions of neuroanatomy and the phenomenon of neurophobia have been reported in healthcare education, yet limited data exist for rehabilitation-focused healthcare disciplines in South Africa. This study aimed to describe undergraduate health professional students' perceptions of neuroanatomy, its perceived relevance to clinical practice, learning preferences, and the prevalence of self-identified neurophobia at a South African university. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design with a predominantly quantitative approach was employed, comprising five dichotomous items, seven single-response questions, seven Likert-scale items, and ten free-text questions to contextualize and clarify quantitative findings. Sixty-six second- and third-year students completed an adapted, previously validated survey (response rate: 24.1%). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, with free-text responses used to contextualize quantitative findings. Most respondents reported positive perceptions of neuroanatomy and recognized its relevance to clinical practice. Cranial nerves were the most preferred neuroanatomy topic, while nervous system histology was the least preferred. Lectures supported by PowerPoint presentations were favored, whereas self-study and tutor-led sessions were least preferred. Only 6.1% of respondents reported self-identified neurophobia. These findings suggest that health professional students generally hold positive attitudes toward neuroanatomy, with low levels of neurophobia. The study contributes discipline-specific insights that may inform curriculum reflection and refinement, as well as future research on neuroanatomy education within healthcare sciences.