“Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University”
Abstract Introduction Neurophobia, defined as a fear or aversion toward neuroscience and clinical neurology study, was first introduced by Dr. Ralph Jozefowicz in 1994. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and contributing factors of neurophobia among clinical-year medical students at Badr Univ...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SpringerOpen
2025-08-01
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| Series: | The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-025-01013-z |
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| author | Ahmed Alaaledin Farrag Aya Mohamed Abdelraouf Sama Hesham Samir Shaher Ashraf Metwally Rahma Atef Said Mariam Taher Ahmed Shahd Ashraf Metwally Soher Emad Hassan Ahmed Abdelhamid Ahmed Hamad Mohamed Ali Abdalbary Ahmed Abdelaleem Mandour Omar Arafa Ahmed Habiba Ahmed Abdellatif Mona Ali Eissa |
| author_facet | Ahmed Alaaledin Farrag Aya Mohamed Abdelraouf Sama Hesham Samir Shaher Ashraf Metwally Rahma Atef Said Mariam Taher Ahmed Shahd Ashraf Metwally Soher Emad Hassan Ahmed Abdelhamid Ahmed Hamad Mohamed Ali Abdalbary Ahmed Abdelaleem Mandour Omar Arafa Ahmed Habiba Ahmed Abdellatif Mona Ali Eissa |
| author_sort | Ahmed Alaaledin Farrag |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Introduction Neurophobia, defined as a fear or aversion toward neuroscience and clinical neurology study, was first introduced by Dr. Ralph Jozefowicz in 1994. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and contributing factors of neurophobia among clinical-year medical students at Badr University in Cairo (BUC) and Helwan University. Given the high incidence of neurological disorders in Egypt, addressing neurophobia is crucial to encourage medical students to pursue neurology and help meet the country’s growing healthcare needs. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,235 clinical-year medical students from BUC and Helwan University. Quantitative data were collected using the Schon questionnaire and NeuroQ scale. Additionally, focus group discussions (FGDs) involving 62 students provided qualitative insights. Results Neurophobia was more prevalent among BUC students (47.7%) compared to Helwan students (26%). Male students reported higher levels of neurophobia, yet expressed greater confidence in neurology than female students. The perceived complexity of neuroanatomy (43.4%), lack of clinical exposure (52.5%), and excessive theoretical content (40.3%) were the main contributing factors. Early clinical exposure and more interactive teaching methods were strongly preferred by the students. Conclusion Neurophobia represents a major educational barrier and contributes to the global shortage of neurologists. A little is known regarding neurophobia among Egyptian medical students. Proposed solutions include adopting active learning strategies and reducing the time gap between neuroscience and neurology to enhance students’ confidence to reduce neurophobia among undergraduates. Yet, more studies are needed to reveal more about neurophobia prevalence, factors, and suggested plans to overcome. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e9bb3c26781043158b5e19e2e6d97416 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-8329 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | SpringerOpen |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery |
| spelling | doaj-art-e9bb3c26781043158b5e19e2e6d974162025-08-24T11:14:14ZengSpringerOpenThe Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery1687-83292025-08-0161111410.1186/s41983-025-01013-z“Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University”Ahmed Alaaledin Farrag0Aya Mohamed Abdelraouf1Sama Hesham Samir2Shaher Ashraf Metwally3Rahma Atef Said4Mariam Taher Ahmed5Shahd Ashraf Metwally6Soher Emad Hassan7Ahmed Abdelhamid Ahmed8Hamad Mohamed Ali Abdalbary9Ahmed Abdelaleem Mandour10Omar Arafa Ahmed11Habiba Ahmed Abdellatif12Mona Ali Eissa13School of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoFaculty of Medicine, Helwan UniversitySchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoSchool of Medicine, Badr University in CairoFaculty of Medicine, Helwan UniversityFaculty of Medicine, Helwan UniversityAbstract Introduction Neurophobia, defined as a fear or aversion toward neuroscience and clinical neurology study, was first introduced by Dr. Ralph Jozefowicz in 1994. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and contributing factors of neurophobia among clinical-year medical students at Badr University in Cairo (BUC) and Helwan University. Given the high incidence of neurological disorders in Egypt, addressing neurophobia is crucial to encourage medical students to pursue neurology and help meet the country’s growing healthcare needs. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,235 clinical-year medical students from BUC and Helwan University. Quantitative data were collected using the Schon questionnaire and NeuroQ scale. Additionally, focus group discussions (FGDs) involving 62 students provided qualitative insights. Results Neurophobia was more prevalent among BUC students (47.7%) compared to Helwan students (26%). Male students reported higher levels of neurophobia, yet expressed greater confidence in neurology than female students. The perceived complexity of neuroanatomy (43.4%), lack of clinical exposure (52.5%), and excessive theoretical content (40.3%) were the main contributing factors. Early clinical exposure and more interactive teaching methods were strongly preferred by the students. Conclusion Neurophobia represents a major educational barrier and contributes to the global shortage of neurologists. A little is known regarding neurophobia among Egyptian medical students. Proposed solutions include adopting active learning strategies and reducing the time gap between neuroscience and neurology to enhance students’ confidence to reduce neurophobia among undergraduates. Yet, more studies are needed to reveal more about neurophobia prevalence, factors, and suggested plans to overcome.https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-025-01013-zNeurophobiaMedical educationNeurologyNeuroscienceEgyptMedical students |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed Alaaledin Farrag Aya Mohamed Abdelraouf Sama Hesham Samir Shaher Ashraf Metwally Rahma Atef Said Mariam Taher Ahmed Shahd Ashraf Metwally Soher Emad Hassan Ahmed Abdelhamid Ahmed Hamad Mohamed Ali Abdalbary Ahmed Abdelaleem Mandour Omar Arafa Ahmed Habiba Ahmed Abdellatif Mona Ali Eissa “Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University” The Egyptian Journal of Neurology, Psychiatry and Neurosurgery Neurophobia Medical education Neurology Neuroscience Egypt Medical students |
| title | “Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University” |
| title_full | “Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University” |
| title_fullStr | “Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University” |
| title_full_unstemmed | “Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University” |
| title_short | “Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University” |
| title_sort | assessing neurophobia a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at badr university in cairo and helwan university |
| topic | Neurophobia Medical education Neurology Neuroscience Egypt Medical students |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-025-01013-z |
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