 | Term | Definition |
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Acetylcholine (ACh) |
A cholinergic neurotransmitter that occurs in various tissues and organs of the body. It is thought to play an important role in the transmission of nerve impulses at synapses and myonerual junctions |
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Acrophobia |
An abnormal fear of high places |
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Agoraphobia |
An abnormal fear of being alone in public places; an anxiety syndrome and panic disorder |
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Akathesia |
The inability to remain still, motor restlessness, and anxiety |
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Akinesia |
A loss or lack of the power of voluntary motion |
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Alzhimer's Disease |
A severe form of senile dementia that may be due to some defect in the neurotransmitter system. There is cortical destruction that causes variable degrees of confusion, memory loss, and other cognitive defects |
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Amnesia |
A condition in which there is a loss or lack of memory |
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) |
Muscular weakness, atrophy, with spasticity caused by degeneration of motor neurons of the spinal cord, medulla, and cortex; also called Lou Gehrig's disease |
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Analgesia |
A lack of the sense of pain |
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Anencephaly |
A congential condition in which there is a lack of development of the brain |
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Anesthesia |
A loss or lack of the sense of feeling |
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Aphagia |
A loss or lack of the ability to eat or swallow |
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Aphasia |
A loss or lack of the ability to speak |
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Apoplexy |
A sudden loss of consciousness caused by an embolus, a thrombus, or rupture of an artery in the brain; also called a stroke, cerebrovascular accident, or brain attack |
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Apraxia |
A loss or lack of the ability to use objects properly |
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Asthenia |
A loss or lack of strength |
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Astrocyte |
A star-shaped neuroglial cell with many branching processes |
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Astrocytoma |
A tumor composed of astrocytes |
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Ataxia |
A loss or lack of muscular coordination |
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Atelomyelia |
A condition of imperfect development of the spinal cord |
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Autism |
A mental disorder in which the individual is self-absorbed, inaccessible, and unable to relate to others and has language disturbances. A syndrome usually beginning in infancy and becoming apparent in the first or second year of life |
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Bradykinesia |
An abnormal slowness of motion |
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Cephalalgia |
Head pain; headache |
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Chorea |
A condition of rapid, jerky involuntary muscular movements of the limbs or face |
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Coma |
An unconscious state or stupor from which the patient cannot be aroused |
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Deep Brain Stimulation |
A technique used to stop uncontrollable movements in Parkinson's disease. Electrodes are implanted in the thalamus or globus pallidus of the brain and connected to a pacemaker-like device, which the patient can switch on or off as symptoms dictate |
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Dementia |
A state of mental confusion marked by illusions, hallucinations, excitement, restlessness, delusions, and speech incoherence |
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Dyslexia |
A condition in which an individual has difficulty in comprehending written language |
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Dysphasia |
Impairment of speech caused by a brain lesion |
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Egocentric |
Pertaining to being self-centered |
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Encephalitis |
Inflammation of the brain |
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Encephalomalacia |
A softening of the brain |
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Endorphins |
Chemical substances produced in the brain that act as natural analgesics (opiates) |
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Hemiparesis |
Slight paralysis that affects one side of the body |
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Hemiplegia |
Paralysis that affects one half of the body |
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Herpes Zoster |
An acute viral disease characterized by painful vesicular eruptions along the segment of the spinal or cranial nerves; also called shingles |
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Hydrocephalus |
Pertaining to an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain |
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Hyperesthesia |
Excessive feelings of sensory stimuli, such as pain, touch, or sound |
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Hyperkinesis |
Excessive muscular movement and motion; inability to be still; also known as hyperactivity |
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Hypnosis |
An artifically induced condition of sleep |
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Multiple Sclerosis |
A chronic disease of the central nervous system marked by damage to the myelin sheath. Plaques occur in the brain and spinal cord causing tremor, weakness, incoordination, paresthesia, and disturbances in vision and speech |
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Narcolepsy |
A chronic condition in which there are recurrent attacks of uncontrollable drowsiness and sleep |
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Neuralgia |
Pain in a nerve or nerves |
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Neurasthenia |
Nervous weakness, exhaustion, prostration common after depressed states |
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Neuroglia |
The supporting elements of the nervous system (astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and macroglia) |
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Neuroleptic |
Medicine that produces psychomotor slowing, emotional queiting, and extrapyramidal effects; also called antipsyhotic |
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Neurosis |
An emotional condition or disorder |
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Neurotransmitter |
Substances within neurons and the cerebrospinal fluid that allow nerve cells to communicate with one another |
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Palsy |
A loss of sensation or an impairment of motor function; also called paralysis |
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Parkinson's Disease |
A chronic disease of the nervous system. It is characterized by a loss of equilibrium and by salivation, frustration, nausea, dryness of the mouth, and muscular tremors |
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Paroxysm |
A sudden recurrence of the symptoms of a disease an exacerbation; also means a spasm or seizure |
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Receptor |
A sensory nerve ending that receives and relays responses to stimuli |
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Reye's Syndrome |
An acute disease that causes edema of the brain and increased intralcranial pressure, hypoglycemia, and fatty infiltration of the liver and other vital organs. Occurs in children and has a relation to aspirin adminstration. May be viral in origin |
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Sciatica |
Severe pain along the course of the sciatic nerve |
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Somnambulism |
A condition of sleepwalking |
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Spondylosyndesis |
A surgical procedure to bind vertebra after removal of a herniated disk; also called spinal fusion |
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Syncope |
A temporary loss of consciousness caused by a lack of blood supply to the brain; also called fainting |
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Tactile |
Pertaining to the sense of touch |
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Tay-Sachs Disease |
An inherited disease that predominantly affects Jewish children of Ashkenazi origin. It is a progressive disease marked by degeneration of brain tissue |
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Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulations (TENS) |
The use of mild electrical stimulation to interefere with the transmission of painful stimuli. It has proved useful in relieving pain in some patients |
