| Term | Definition |
|---|
| brain | main organ of the nervous system |
| cranial | cavity in which the brain is located in |
| thalmus | part of the limbic system that deals with emotions |
| hypothalmus | regulates body temperature |
| brainstem | keeps the mind conscious |
| cerebellum | monitors muscle tone and body position |
| cranial nerves | carry sensory information from the body |
| trigeminal | 5th cranial nerve |
| hypoglossal | 12th cranial nerve |
| spinal cord | a long narrow column of nerve tissue within the spinal cavity |
| reflex | involuntary muscle reaction |
| neurons | functional units of the nervous system |
| epinephrine | released in times of stress |
| amnesia | partial or total loss of memory |
| anencephaly | congenital condition in which some or all of the cranium and cerebrum are missing in a newborn |
| aphasia | loss of the ability to communicate verbaly or in writing |
| arteriovenous malformation | abnormality in which arteries in the brain connect directly to veins |
| brain tumor | benign or malignant tumor of any area of the brain |
| cephalagia | pain in the head or headache |
| cerebrovascular accident | disruption or blockage of blood flow to the brain |
| coma | deep state of unconsciousness and unresponsiveness |
| concussion | injury to the brain that results in the immediate loss of consciousness for a brief time |
| dementia | progressive deterioration in mental function |
| down syndrome | congenital genetic defect, 3 of chromosome 21 |
| dyslexia | difficulty reading and writing words |
| encephalitis | inflammation of the brain caused by a virus |
| epilepsy | uncontrolled, abnormal electrical impulses in the brain |
| hematoma | localized collection of blood that forms in the tissue because of the rupture of an artery or vein |
| huntingtons chorea | progressive, inherited degenerative disease of the brain |
| hydrocephalus | excessive amount of cerebrospinal fluid in produced or blocked |
| meningitis | inflammation of the meninges of the brain or spinal cord |
| migraine headache | sudden severe headache with throbbing pain |
| narcolepsy | brief, involuntary episodes of falling asleep during the daytime |
| parkinson's disease | chronic, degenerative disease due to an imbalance in the levels of the neurotransmitters dopamine and acetylcholine in the brain |
| syncope | temporary loss of conciousness |
| anesthesia | condition in which sensation is completely lost |
| bell's palsy | weakness, drooping of one side of the face because of inflammation of the facial nerve |
| carpal tunnel syndrome | chronic condition with tingling in the hand |
| guillain-barre's syndrome | autoimmune disorder in which the body makes antibodies against myelin |
| hyperesthesia | condition in which there is an abnormally heightened awareness and sensitivity to touch and increase response to painful stimuli |
| multiple sclerosis | chronic, progressive degenerative autoimmune disease in which the body makes antibodies against myelin |
| neurolgia | pain along the path of a nerve caused by an injury to the nerve |
| neuritis | inflammation or infection of a nerve |
| neurofibromatorsis | hereditary disease with multiple benign tumors |
| neuroma | benign tumor of a nerve |
| neuropathy | general category for any type of disease or injury to a nerve |
| paresthesia | abnormal sensations like tingling, burning or pinpricks are felt on the skin |
| computed axial tomography | CT, procedure that uses x-rays to create many individual, closely spaced images |
| magnetic resonance imaging | MRI, uses a magnetic field and radiowaves to align the protons in the body and cause them to emit signals |
| positron emission tomography | PET scan, nuclear medicine procedure that uses a radioactive substance combine with glucose molecules and injected intravenously to reflect the amount of metabolism in an area |
| electroencephalography | EEG, procedure to record the electrical activity of the brain |
| evoked potential | procedure in which an EEG is used to record changes in brain waves that occur followng various stimuli |
| babinski's sign | neurologic test where the outside of the foot from the heel to the toes is stroked with an instrument to check for injury to the parietal lobe or spinal nerves |
| lumbar puncture | procedure to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for testing |
| Glasgow coma score | numerical scale that measures the depth of a coma |
| biopsy | procedure to remove a tumor or mass from the brain or orther part of the body |
| craniotomy | surgical incision of the skull to expose the brain tissue |
| ventriculoperitoneal shunt | procedure to insert a plastic tube to connect the ventricles of the brain to the peritoneal cavity |
| transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation | TENS, unit-procedure that uses an electrial device to control chronic pain |
| parasympathetic | part of the autonomic nervous system that stimulates the salivary glands |
| sympathetic | part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for "fight or flight" |
| four | number of ventricles in the brain |
| three | number of layer of membranes (meninges) that cover the brain and spinal cord |
| cerebrum | largest part of the brain |
| meninges | protects and covers the brain and spinal cord |
Combine with other sets
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