MCCCD Official Course Competencies:

DMI236  2008 Fall – 2010 Summer II

Neurosonography

1.

Describe medical terminology of the brain and spinal cord. (I)

2.

Describe physics and instrumentation of medical ultrasound. (II)

3.

Identify and describe the anatomy and physiology of the brain and spinal cord. (III)

4.

Identify and describe various pathological conditions of the brain andspinal cord. (IV)

5.

Describe the equipment and scan protocols for imaging the brain and spinal cord. (V)

6.

Identify the care of the patient during imaging of the brain and spinal cord. (VI)

7.

Compare and contrast other imaging modalities of the brain and spinal cord. (VII)

8.

Identify future trends in neurosonography. (VIII)

MCCCD Official Course Outline:

DMI236  2008 Fall – 2010 Summer II

Neurosonography

I. Medical Terminology

II. Physics and Instrumentation Interaction

A. Bone on ultrasonic energy

B. Transducer on image quality

C. Artifacts

D. Instrument controls on image quality

III. Anatomy and Physiology

A. Cranial bones

B. Landmarks

C. Gross topographical anatomy

1. cerebellum

2. cerebrum

3. brain stem

4. spinal cord

5. ventricular system

D. Intracranial membranes

E. Intra-and extracranial vascular structures

1. watershed areas

2. middle cerebral artery

3. Extra corporeal membranous oxygenation (ECMO) effects

F. Grey/White matter organization of the brain and cord

G. Ventricular system

H. Cerebrospinal fluid

1. origin

2. flow

3. reabsorption

I. Functional tracts -- central nervous system

IV. Recognition of Pathology and Differential Diagnosis

A. Midline displacements

B. Space-occupying lesions/mass-effects in the brain

C. Inflammatory lesions

D. Ventricular enlargement

E. Intracranial and extracranial hemorrhage

F. Atrophic lesions

G. Cogenital lesions

H. Brain swelling (edema)

I. Spinal lesions

V. Neurosonography Examination/Technique

A. Selection of modality/instrument/transducer

1. neonate

2. intraoperative

B. Scan-plane

1. selection

2. identification

C. Instrument control adjustment

D. Normal anatomic structures/landmark recognition

1. cerebellum

2. cerebrum

3. brain stem

4. spinal cord

5. ventricular system

E. Protocol

F. Normal dimensions/measurement techniques

G. Sterile techniques in intraoperative examination

VI. Medical Care of the Patient During Scanning

A. Temperature maintenance

B. Asepsis and infection control

C. Adult patient care

D. Neonate and pediatric patient care

VII. Other Imaging Modalities

A. Angiography

B. Computerized tomography (CT) scanning

C. Magnetic resonance imaging (M.R.I.)

D. Nuclear medicine

E. Electroencephalography (E.E.G.)

VIII. Future Trends in Neurosonography