CADAVERIC ANALYSIS OF BRAIN AND CRANIAL NERVES: AN ANATOMICAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION

Abstract

The main parts of the central nervous system that are responsible for the regulation of sensory, motor, autonomic and higher mental functions are the human brain and cranial nerves. Detailed knowledge of the above structures is still required for the clinical diagnosis, neurosurgical procedures, radiological diagnosis and medical education. The simplest technique of cadaver dissection is a significant way for studying the morphology, variability and relationship of brain and cranial nerves. The present study was designed for a detailed cadaveric analysis on the basis of systematic dissection and morphometric evaluation of brain and twelve pairs of cranial nerves. The method was descriptive observational with 25 human cadaveric bodies of adult humans that were embalmed in anatomy laboratories. Morphological characters, branching pattern, size and variation of the Cranial nerves and Brain structures were studied. The quantitative data were recorded and analysed using the descriptive statistics. The results showed high degree of uniformity of the overall organization of the brain and cranial nerves, but variations in the size of the olfactory tract, the size of the trigeminal ganglion, the shape of the optic chiasm and facial nerve branching were found. Several specimens had variations of the circle of Willis and the cerebellar arterial supply, with the latter showing the largest diameter of any of the cranial nerves with a mean of 4.6 ± 0.5 mm. Considering the complexity of the field of neuroanatomical relationships and its clinical significance, the study highlights the relevance of cadaveric investigations to enhance the comprehension of these relationships. This study facilitates neurosurgical planning, neuroimaging interpretation and education of anatomical aspects and provides reference data for future neuroanatomical studies.