Connect
Rule-of-4

Number of players:

Objective:

Group nerves, nuclei and tracts in the brainstem into appropriate groups of four to win.

Materials needed:

A Connect Four game

Separate all the chips into 2 colors. Each game uses one color of chip.
Print the Connect Rule-of-4 stickers and place on each side of the chips. If you can print on sticker paper, they will attach easily. Otherwise, glue them. Important: Both sides of each chip should have the same sticker.
Put all of the chips into an opaque bag.

Players take turns drawing a chip from the bag and placing it in the grid.
Players attempt to line up chips to form a Set of stickers that share one of the "Rule-of-Four" rules:
- Cranial nerves/nuclei above the pons (1, 2, 3, 4)
- Cranial nerves/nuclei in the pons (5, 6, 7, 8)
- Cranial nerves/nuclei in the medulla (9, 10, 11, 12)
- Medial structures
  - Corticospinal tracts
  - Medial lemniscus
  - Medial longitudinal fasciculus
  - Cranial Nerves/Nuclei 3, 4, 6, 12
- Lateral strictures
  - Spinocerebellar tract
  - Spinothalamic tract
  - Sympathetic tract,
  - Cranial Nerves/Nuclei 5, 7, 9, 11
The 1st player to get a Set of 4 in a row – horizontal, vertical or diagonal – wins.

To learn more about the Rule if 4 of the brainstem here!