How to write a case study paper
Nervous System : A Case Study
Guidelines for Case Studies
(Modified from Guidelines for Lab Reports by I. Lukanik)
Format for Case Studies
When writing your case study, bear in mind the following:
 Do not use direct quotes! Any information you use from another source must be
paraphrased AND cited within the text.
 Answer any questions or provide any information as directed in the assignment
guidelines.
 Be clear and yet concise. Wordiness is a common mistake among beginning writers.
Express yourself in the simplest words that will accurately convey your point.
 Unless otherwise specified by your TA, all reports must be type-written in 12-point font,
double-spaced, and have 1 1/4” left and right margins and 1” top and bottom margins.
References
Contrary to other citation styles you may be familiar with (e.g. MLA, APA), the citation style
used in the sciences is the CSE Style (Council of Science Editors Style, formerly called Council
of Biology Editors Style or CBE Style). List all articles or books cited in your report in
alphabetical order of the authors. Use the following examples to format your references:
Citing journal articles:
 Format –
Authors(s). Publication year. Article title. Journal title. Volume (issue, if applicable):
pages of article.
 Example –
DeJong, J. and R. G. Roeder 1993. A single cDNA, hTFIIA/α, encodes both the p35 and
p19 subunits of human TFIIA. Genes Dev. 7(11):2220-34.
Citing books:
 Format –
Author(s). Publication year. Book Title, edition if known. Publisher, Place of publication,
number of pages.
 Example –
Purves, W.K., G.H. Orians and H.C. Heller. 1995. Life: The Science of Biology, 4th
edition. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA, 1195 pps.
Additional Instructions 
For this assignment, use the case study information below to apply the material that you are learning in
Anatomy and Physiology II lab. This case study correlates with both the cardiovascular effects of exercise lab
and the muscles and EMG lab performed in class. Please be sure to pay attention to the details and
requirement of the guidelines. Unlike case study #1 which you completed as a group, this case study must
be completed individually. Summarize all information in your own words and reference sources
appropriately. For more information regarding plagiarism, please refer to your syllabus and the USF
Academic Integrity Policy. In order to receive credit for the assignment, both a full digital copy submitted
through Turnitin and a matching hard copy submitted in class are required.
Case Information
Annie is a swimmer for her college. Recently, she has experienced decreased performance in the pool,
resulting in slower times even though she has been working hard in practice. Additionally, she has been
plagued with blurry vision and eye strain. Her eye strain has become progressively worse over the last
month. Any typing done for school makes her fingers ache and feel weak, and sometimes they seem to
not function at all. Simple physical activities such as walking a flight of stairs makes her feel extremely
fatigued and leaves her gasping for air. On top of these symptoms, she is constantly tired.
Due to her symptoms, Annie decided to see her family doctor who referred her to a neurologist. After
running a series of test, the neurologist determined that Annie’s nerve function was normal as there was
no evidence for nerve fatigue and the nerve conduction velocity was fine. However, when testing the
muscle, it was determined that the muscle response decreased quickly during repeated nerve
stimulation. This suggested that muscle response fatigued. Lab tests were performed as well in order to
reach a diagnosis. When an edrophonium test was performed, Annie reported feeling much better, but
only for a short period of time. Additionally, when looking at Annie’s blood work, it was determined that
there were an abnormally high level of antibodies in her blood. It was also discovered that Annie has a
tumor on her thymus.
Case Study Guidelines
You will be responsible for writing a 2-3 page response to this case. Your case study should not exceed 3
pages. Similar to case study #1, you will need to conduct background research in order to complete this
assignment, providing appropriate information to support your diagnosis. You must use a minimum of two
references, one of which must be your Lt background information. Your report should be type-written in 12-
point font, double-spaced, and have 1 ¼-inch left and right margins and 1-inch top and bottom margins.
Spelling, grammar and quality of writing will count! All writing should be in the correct tense and in the
passive voice (i.e. do not use the terms ‘I’ or ‘We’). You must submit a Word doc or docx file. Other file
types will not be accepted. For more information, please be sure to refer to the ‘Guidelines for Case Studies’
document posted in Canvas and provided to you in class.
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Title: Include a title meaningful to the case study, your name, the course, the section number and the date.
Introduction: Using background information gathered on the presented topic, write an introduction for your
case study. Don’t simply lay out the required information, be sure to tie your introduction together and
include proper transitions. You should not be moving through your introduction as if it is a list. In a
narrative format, be sure to provide details on the following:
1. Briefly describe both the macro and micro (cellular) anatomy of a skeletal muscle.
2. Define muscle fatigue and describe some of the causes of this condition.
3. Describe the neuromuscular junction. Be sure to include details regarding the anatomy and
physiology of the neuromuscular junction, describing how an action potential and acetycholine
are involved in this junction.
4. Describe Electromyography. What does it show?
5. Briefly describe the function of antibodies. Additionally, define what antigens are and what role
they play in antibody production.
Diagnosis: Based on the information provided regarding the patient, please diagnosis her condition. In your
diagnosis, please describe how her symptoms and medical tests led you to this conclusion. What specific
tests may have been performed in order to diagnose the patient? Be sure to apply the information you
learned in lab in order to complete the diagnosis.
Prognosis and Medical Treatment Plan: Based on the diagnosis, describe the patient’s prognosis and any
necessary long term medical treatment. In what ways would the outlook for the patient be different if no
treatment was provided? How would no treatment impact daily life?
Conclusion: Synthesize the information provided in your case study. Be sure to adequately wrap up the
information presented and highlight the important details from your report.
References: The citation style used in the natural sciences is the CSE (Council of Science Editors) citation
style. Please refer to the bottom of page 2 of the Guidelines for Case Studies document provided to
you in class and posted in Canvas. Direct quotes may not be used. All information used from another
source must be paraphrased and cited appropriately (both within the text and the reference section).
AT LEAST 2 different references are required. One of these references must be the Lt background
information. The additional outside references must either be a textbook or a scientific journal article,
not a blog or other non-scientific website. Tools used to locate electronic copies of journal articles that
might be pertinent to your topic include ISI Web of Science (portal can be accessed through the USF
Library website, www.lib.usf.edu) and Google Scholar (scholar.google.com). The library has a guide on
how to get started on research and finding reference articles at http://guides.lib.usf.edu/howtoguides.
There is also an online textbook site at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books where you can search for
textbooks dealing with your topic.
NOTE: Wikipedia is an encyclopedia and is not an acceptable reference for this course. However, like any
encyclopedia, it might serve as a starting point for research, since Wikipedia uses citations and references.
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Please beware! If you use outside sources for information but only list the sources in the reference
section and not within the text, you will lose 50% of the possible points on your case study assignment.
Also, please note that the 2-3 page case study limit does not include the reference section.
To submit your case study to Turnitin, go to ‘Assignments’ in Canvas, click on ‘Case Study #2’, then on the
‘Submission Upload’ button in the assignment inbox. Be sure that you click the ‘Submit’ button after
uploading the file. You will only be allowed to submit Microsoft Word doc and docx file types. You will not
receive credit for this assignment unless you submit the full document to Turnitin along with a matching
hard copy in class. It is your responsibility to ensure that your document is uploaded correctly. Do not
wait until the last minute to submit your assignment.