| Anatomical brain and head charts, commonly available | | | | While the CNS chart is a stand-alone teaching tool, it |
| as 22 by 28-inch plain paper or laminated pages, or | | | | also makes an excellent companion piece to various |
| flip charts, are ideal patient and student education | | | | educational charts such as Understanding Migraines, |
| tools. These charts, with their wealth of anatomical | | | | Understanding Epilepsy and Understanding Stroke. |
| diagrams and lengthy but comprehensible | | | | The migraine chart, which examines the causes and |
| explanations, offer a complex, colorful, easily-followed | | | | symptoms of this genetic, neurological disease (which |
| map of the human brain and nervous system, and all | | | | presupposes that migraine sufferers have overly |
| the ills that can befall it. In fact, words alone do not | | | | excitable neurons), discusses cerebral |
| do these charts justice; only seeing is believing. | | | | microvascularization, vasoconstriction and vasodilation |
| Take for example the anatomical flip chart called | | | | (narrowing or widening of blood vessels), and even |
| Understanding the Nervous System. This 13-page | | | | displays and discusses the origin and nature of a |
| book, printed on UV-coated, full-sized, 12-point paper | | | | migraine aura, defined as visual and/or sensory |
| stock that allows for dry-erase marking (markers not | | | | disturbances, and speech disturbances, developing |
| included) provides physicians a way to highlight | | | | gradually and usually lasting no more than an hour. |
| specific features or points in completely removable | | | | The epilepsy and stroke charts also provide detailed |
| fashion. The flip chart also comes with a heavy, | | | | and easily understood information and diagrams on |
| laminated cover, and the optional easel is spiral bound | | | | these two health problems. The first, epilepsy, while |
| for uncomplicated page-turning and folds flat for | | | | relatively uncommon, can be devastating to patients, |
| storage. | | | | limiting their social interaction and putting them at |
| The labeled Brain Anatomy chart provides, in 10 | | | | serious risk of falls and other hazards. Strokes, on |
| separate, full color and highly detailed images with | | | | the other hand, are quite common among the elderly, |
| attached explanatory text, a comprehensive | | | | and the chart discusses not only the types of stroke |
| overview of parts of the brain. From the cerebellum | | | | (hemorrhagic and ischemic), but the risk factors like |
| to the spinal cord, including the meninges and a | | | | smoking and diabetes than can increase the likelihood |
| coronal cross-section, as well as blood vessels | | | | of the latter. |
| supplying the brain and a didactic image of the | | | | The Parkinson's Disease Education Poster is especially |
| functional brain sections, this chart is a superb tool | | | | useful as the incidence of this neurological defect |
| for explaining brain mechanics to a patient or a | | | | becomes more prevalent as the U.S. population ages. |
| pre-med student. | | | | Parkinson's, which results primarily from degeneration, |
| The Central Nervous System (CNS) chart provides a | | | | has distinctive stages, as well as specific diagnosis |
| remarkably detailed overview not only of divisions of | | | | and treatment protocols, all of which the chart |
| the brain (cerebrum, cerebellum, etc. in full-color | | | | examines in detail. |
| didactic display), but images and text dealing with | | | | All charts, including the single-page nervous system |
| such items as cranial nerves, spinal structure, | | | | anatomy chart, are available as plain or laminated 22 |
| cellular-level views of motor neurons and synaptic | | | | by 28 inch sheets, with the lamination perforated by |
| cleft, and a description of the action and function of | | | | metal eyelets for hanging. The plastic coating allows |
| neurotransmitters, as well as a discussion on | | | | surgeons, teachers and others to mark the pages in |
| cerebrospinal fluid. In addition, the chart provides a | | | | greater detail without destroying them by using dry |
| brief overview of such CNS disturbances as | | | | erase markers. |
| Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. | | | | |