This laboratory integrates clinical anatomy—the anatomical study of the human body's structure and function, which aims to contribute to the development of new treatments and improve the accuracy of diagnostic methods—with nursing science.
Research Keywords
Cranial nerve surgery, microsurgical anatomy for cranial nerve surgery surgery, and prevention and epidemiology of brain diseases
The Marriage of Clinical Anatomy and Nursing Science
The fourth-year Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care students who enroll in my project (seminar), which I lead as a physician, share two common traits: the spirit of jitsugaku (practical science),' a drive to scientifically resolve the medical sciences questions that emerge from their clinical training and daily studies, and a profound ambition to lead the future of nursing and healthcare by applying their advanced knowledge and learning experiences. To help them achieve this ambition, I direct a laboratory dedicated to exploring clinical anatomy with the goal of integrating it with nursing science.
Students deepen their understanding of organs and diseases that interest them through two learning strategies. The first is creating models to visualize three-dimensional anatomical structures. They independently produce 3D anatomical models on themes such as the "limbic system nerves, basal ganglia, and cerebral white matter networks," "subsegmental bronchi and peritoneum," "portal vein and hepatic vein," and "intraperitoneal organs," emphasizing the integration of the 3D structure and function of these organs.
The second strategy is to analyze patients' problems from the perspective of clinical anatomy. Focusing on topics like stroke, traumatic brain injury, and post-resuscitation encephalopathy, students deepen their understanding of the brain's functional anatomy.They also verbalize, from the patient's point of view, the daily life challenges caused by after-effects predicted from the injury site, and conduct literature reviews on the current state and issues in nursing practice.
How can the knowledge gained in clinical anatomy be connected to the future of nursing and healthcare? We exchange a wide range of opinions and hold many discussions, and I find that the students bring a nursing perspective that I, as a physician, lack. It is not uncommon for me to deepen my own understanding as the wonderful ideas of these Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care students—born from their youth, talent, and passion—merge with clinical anatomy. In the spirit of "learning while teaching, teaching while learning", after days filled with the excitement of pursuing academic inquiry and marking milestones, the students reach a level where they can reflect on their own growth. I am convinced that they are truly promising young talents, worthy of being entrusted as future leaders in nursing and healthcare. So, why not join us to master clinical anatomy and enjoy its marriage with nursing science?
Making "I Wish We Could" a Reality
Kinuo Kakimoto, 4th-year Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care student (at the time of writing)
In the Horiguchi Project, we can learn about clinical anatomy and Clinical Physiology and Therapeutics beyond what is in textbooks and apply that knowledge to nursing. I am creating a 3D model of the brain's neural fiber networks. As a patient advocate, I knew I needed to understand the role of 'neural fibers' to more accurately assess higher brain dysfunction, but there were no educational materials that could be understood with only the knowledge from my first three years. This inspired me to create the model, thinking, "It would be great to have a resource like this." To create it, I am learning about the realistic structure of the human body through anatomical observation training and exchanging ideas with students studying other brain regions. It is a learning experience truly unique to a Faculty of Nursing and Medical Care.