Term
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Definition
| Rare congenital condition in which some or all of the cranium and cerebrum are missing. |
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Term
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Definition
Loss of the ability to communicate verbally or in writing. Aphasia can occur with head trauma, stroke, or Alzheimer's Disease when there is injuries to the areas of the brain that deal with language and interpretation of sounds and symbols.
Expressive Aphasia: is the inability to verbally express thoughts.
Receptive Aphasia: The inability to understand the spoken or written word.
Both types are Global Aphasia. |
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Term
| Arteriovenous Malformation |
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Definition
| Abnormality in which arteries in the brain connect directly to viens (rather than to capillaries), forming an abnormal twisted nest of blood vessels. An AVM can rupture and cause a stroke. |
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Term
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Definition
| Benign or malignant tumor of any area of the brain. Arises from neuroglia or meninges, rather than from neurons themselves. |
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Term
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Definition
| Pain in the head, commonly known as a headache. Caused by eyestrain, muscle tension in the face or neck, generalized infections such as the flu, migraine headaches, sinus infections, hypertension, or by more serious conditions, such as trauma, meningitis, or brain tumors. |
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Term
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Definition
| Caused by the lack of oxygen to parts of the fetus' brain during birth. Result can include spastic muscles, lack of coordination in walking, eating, and talking, muscle paralysis, seizures, or mental retardation. |
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Term
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Definition
Disruption or blockage of blood flow to the brain, which causes tissue death and an area of necrosis known as an infarct. Caused by embolus, arteriosclerosis, or hemorrhage. Also known as a stroke or brain attack.
Can also cause amnesia, aphasia, dysphasia,or dysphagia. |
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Term
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Definition
| Muscle weakness on one side of the body. |
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Term
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Definition
| Paralysis on one side of the body. |
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Term
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Definition
| Hereditary genetic defect in which there are 3 of chromosome 21, instead of the normal two. This defect affects every cell in the bodym but is most obvious as mild-to-severe mental retardation and characteristic physical features of a large, protruding tongue, short fingers, and a single transverse crease on the palm of the hand. |
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Term
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Definition
| Inflammation and infection of the brain caused by a virus. Herpes simplex virus is the most common, but others include herpes zoster virus, West Nile virus, and cytomegalovirus. Fever, headache, stiff neck, lethargy, vomiting, irritability, and photophobia. |
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Term
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Definition
| Recurring condition in which a group of neurons in the brain spontaneously sends out electrical impulses in an abnormal, uncontrolled way. |
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Term
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Definition
| Unconsciousness with excessive motor activity. Body alternates between excessive muscle tone with rigidity(tonic) and jerking muscle contractions(clonic) in the extremities, with tongue biting and sometimes incontinence. Lasts 1-2 minutes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Impaired consciousness with slight or no muscle activity. Muscle tone is retained and the patient does not fall down, but is unable to respond to external stimuli. There is vacant staring, repetitive blinking, or facial tics. Lasts 5-15 seconds. |
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Term
| Complex Partial(psychomotor) |
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Definition
| Some degree of impairment of consciousness. Involuntary contraction of one or several muscle groups. Automatism, such as lip smacking or repetitive muscle movements. Lasts 1-2 minutes. |
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Term
| Simple Partial(focal motor) |
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Definition
| No impairment of consciousness. The patient is aware if the seizure but is unable to stp the involuntary motor activity, such as jerking of one hand or turning of the head. Lasts 1-2 minutes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Progressive inherited degenerative disease of the brain that begins in middle age. It's characterized by dementia with spasms of the extremities and face(chorea), alternating with slow writhing movements of the hands and feet. |
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Term
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Definition
| Condition in which an excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid is produced or the flow of cerebrospinal fluid is blocked. Intracranial pressure increases, distends the ventricles in the brain, and compresses the brain tissue. |
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Term
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Definition
| Inflammation and infection of the meninges of the brain or spinal cord caused by a bacterium or virus. There is fever, headache, nuchal rigidity, lethargy, vomiting, irritability, and sensitivity to light. |
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Term
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Definition
| Specific type of recurring headache that has a sudden onset with severe, throbbing pain, often on just one side of the head. Migraines are caused by a constriction of the arteries in the brain followed by a sudden dilation. |
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Term
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Definition
| Brief, involuntary episodes of falling asleep during daytime while engaged in activity. Patient is not unconscious and can be aroused, but is unable to prevent falling asleep. |
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Term
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Definition
| Chronic, degenerative disease due to an imbalance in the levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain. |
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Term
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Definition
| Temporary loss of consciousness. Syncopal episode is one in which a patient becomes lightheaded and then faints and remains unconcious briefly. |
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Term
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Definition
| Congenital abnormality of the neural tube(embryonic structure that becomes the fetal brain and spinal cord). The fetus' vertebrae form incompletely (spina bifida), and there is an abnormal opening in the vertebral column that is only covered by meninges and skin. |
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Term
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Definition
| Protrusion of the meninges through the skin. |
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Term
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Definition
| Protrusion of the meninges and the spinal cord through the skin. Also known as Myelomeningocele. |
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Term
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Definition
| Acute or chronic condition that occurs because of a tumor, arthritis, herniated nucleus pulposus(HNP)(when the contents of an intervertebral disk are forced out through a weak area in the disk wall. Also known as a slipped disk and sciatica, because the disk presses on the branches of the sciatic nerve whose nerve roots come from between L4 and L5 Vertebrae. |
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Term
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Definition
| Trauma to the spinal cord with a partial or complete transection of the cord. This interrupts nerve impulses to paticular dermatomes, causing partial or complete anesthesia(loss of sensation)and paralysis. |
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Term
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Definition
| Injury to upper spinal cord, paralysis of all four extremities. |
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Term
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Definition
| Without nerve impulses, the muscle lose their tone and firmness and eventually atrophy. |
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Term
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Definition
| The spinal cord below the injury will send nerve impulses that cause the muscle to spasm. |
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Term
| Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis(ALS) |
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Definition
| Chronic, progressive disease of the motor nerves coming from the spinal cord. |
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Term
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Definition
| Condition in which sensation of any type, including touch, pressure, proprioception, or pain, has been lost. |
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Term
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Definition
| Weakness, drooping, or actual paralysis of one side of the face because of inflammation of the facial nerve(cranial nerve VII). Viral infection, possible herpes virus. Condition usually lasts a month then disappears. |
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Term
| Carpal Tunnel Syndrome(CTS) |
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Definition
| Chronic condition caused by the repetitive motions of the hand and wrist, often from constant typing or data entry. Tingling in the hand because of inflammation and swelling of the tendons from the forearm muscles that go through the carpal tunnel of the wrist bones to reach the hand. |
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Term
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Definition
| Autoimmune disorder in which the body makes antibodies against Myelin. There is acute inflammation of the peripheral nerves, loss of myelin with interruption of nerve conduction, muscle weakness, and changes in sensation(paresthesias). Caused often by a triggering event such as an infection(often viral), stress, or trauma. |
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Term
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Definition
| Condition in which there is a heightened awareness and sensitivity to touch and increased response to painful stimuli. |
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Term
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Definition
| Chronic, progressive, degenerative autoimmune disorder in which the body makes antibodies against myelin. There is acute inflammation of the nerves and loss of myelin with interruption of nerve conduction in the brain and spinal cord. |
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Term
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Definition
| Pain along the path of a nerve and its branches that caused by an injury. Can cause mild-to-severe pain. |
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Term
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Definition
| Also known as tic douloureux, is characterized by episodes of brief but severe, stabbing pain(like electrical shock)on one or both sides of the face or jaw along the distribution of the trigeminal nerve(cranial nerve V). |
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Term
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Definition
| Severe, burning pain along a nerve and its branches. |
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Term
| Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) |
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Definition
| Consists of causalgia with hyperesthesia, changes in skin color and temperature, and swelling. |
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Term
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Definition
| Inflammation or infection of a nerve. Polyneuritis is a generalized inflammation of many nerves of the body or all the nerves of the body. |
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Term
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Definition
| Hereditary disease with multiple benign fibrous tumors(neurofibomata)that grow on the peripheral nerves.Most noticeable on the skin, but can be anywhere in the body---on organs or even in the eye. |
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Term
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Definition
| Benign tumor of a nerve or any of the specialized cells of the nervous system. A Morton's Neuroma specifically forms from repetitive damage to the nerve that is near the metatarsophalangeal joints between the ball of the foot and the toes. |
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Term
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Definition
| General catagory for any type of disease or injury to a nerve. |
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Term
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Definition
| Condition in which abnormal sensations, such as tingling, bruning, or pinpricks, are felt on the skin. Often the result of chronic nerve damage from a pinched nerve or diabetic neuropathy |
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Term
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Definition
| Test of a sample of amniotic fluid taken from the uteris by amniocentesis during pregnancy. Used to diagnose a neural tube defect in the fetus before birth. |
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Term
| Cerebrospinal Fluid Examination(CFS) |
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Definition
| Test that visually examines the CSF for clarity and color, microscopically for cells, and chemically for proteins and other substances. Normal CSF is clear and colorless. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure in which a radiopaque contrast dye is injected into the carotid arteries, and an xray is taken to visualize the arterial circulation in the brain. |
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Term
| Computed Axial Tomography(CAT,CT) |
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Definition
| Procedure that uses xrays to create many individual, closely spaced images. Used to view cranium, brain, vertebral column, and spinal cord. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure that uses ultra high-frequency sound waves to produce a two-dimentional iage to visualize areas of stenosis and plaque and turbulence in the blood flow in the carotid arteries. Also known as Carotid Duplex Scan |
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Term
| Magnetic Resonance Imaging(MRI) |
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Definition
| Procedure that uses a magnetic field and radiowaves to align the protons in the body and cause them to emit signals that create an image. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure in which a radiopaque contrast dye is injected into the subarachnoid space at the level of the L3 and L4 vertebrae. Contrast dye outlines the spinal cavity and shows spinal nerves, nerve roots, and intervertebral disks, as well as tumors, herniated disks, or obstructions within the cavity. |
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Term
| Positron Emission Tomography Scan(PET) |
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Definition
| Procedure that uses a radioactive substance that is combined with glucose molecules and injected intrevenously. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure in which a plain film is taken of the skull. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure to record the electrical activity of the brain. Four types of normal brain waves: Alpha, beta, delta, and theta. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure in which an EEG is used to record changes in brain waves that occur following various stimuli. Used to evaluate the potential ability of a particular nervous pathway to conduct nerve impulses. |
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Term
Visual Evoked Potential/Response
(VEP,VER) |
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Definition
| Patient watches a tv monitor that displays rapidly alternating checkerboard patterns. |
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Term
| Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potential/Response (BAEP,BAER) |
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Definition
| Patient has on headphones and listens to a series of clicks in one ear then in the other. Evaluates nerve pathways from the ears to the cerebrum. |
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Term
Somatosensory Evoked Potential/Response
(SSEP,SSER) |
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Definition
| Small electrical impulse is administered to the arm or leg. Evaluates nerve pathways from the extremities to the cerebrum. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure to measure the speed at which an electrical impulse travels along the nerve. An electrical impulse through and eletrode applied to the skin is used to stimulate a peripheral nerve. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure to diagnose the underlining condition that can cause insomnia, sleep disruption, sleep apnea, or narcolepsy. Also known as a sleep study. |
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Term
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Definition
| Neurologic test in which the end of the metal handle of a percussion hammer is used to firmly stroke the lateral sole of the foot from the heel to the toes. |
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Term
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Definition
| Numerical scale that measures the depth of a coma. Total score ranges 1-15. Sum is total score. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for testing. Also known as a spinal tap. |
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Term
| Mini Mental Status Examination(MMSE) |
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Definition
| Tests patient's concrete and abstract thought processes and long and short term memory. |
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Term
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Definition
| Test coordination, sensation, balance, and gait. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure in which a fracture of the vertebra is immobilized while it heals. 2 metal pins are inserted into the cranium and attached to a set of tongs with a rope and pulley and 7-10 pouds of weight. |
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Term
| Transcutaneous Electrcal Nerve Stimulation Unite(TENS) |
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Definition
| Procedure that uses an electrical device to control chronic pain. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure to remove a tumor or mass from the brain or other part of the nervous system. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure to remove plaque from the carotid artery. |
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Term
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Definition
| Surgical incision into the cranium to expose the brain tissue. |
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Term
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Definition
| Surgical removal of part or all of a herniated nucleus pulposus from an intervertebral disk |
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Term
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Definition
| Surgical removal of the lamina(flat area of the arch of the vertebra). Removal relieves pressure. |
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Term
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Definition
| Procedure to remove a tumor deep with the Cerebrum. |
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Term
| Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt |
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Definition
| Procedure to insert a plastic tube to connect the ventricles of the brain to the peritoneal cavity. |
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Term
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Definition
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Term
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Definition
| Prevents seizures of epilepsy |
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Term
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Definition
| Suppress inflammation in chronic pain conditions and multiple sclerosis |
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Term
| Drugs for Alzeimer's Disease |
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Definition
| Inhibit and enzyme that breaks down acetylcholine. |
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Term
| Drugs for Neuralgia and Neuropathy |
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Definition
| Classified as anticonvulsant drugs. |
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Term
| Drugs for Parkinson;s Disease |
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Definition
| Stimulate dopamine receptors, inhipit action of acetylcholine, or inhibit the enzyme that metabolizes the drug levodopa. |
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