“Assessing neurophobia: a comparative study of awareness and prevalence among medical students at Badr University in Cairo and Helwan University”

Abstract

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.