 | Term | Definition |
| |
encephalopathy |
disease of the brain |
| |
cerebellum |
part of the brain that controls muscular coordination and balance |
| |
epidural hematoma |
collection of blood above the dura mater |
| |
leptomeningitis |
inflammation of the pia and arachnoid membranes |
| |
anencephaly |
condition of absence of a brain |
| |
poliomyelitis |
inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord |
| |
meningeal |
pertaining to the membranes around the brain and spinal cord |
| |
radiculopathy |
disease of nerve roots (of spinal nerves) |
| |
myelomeningocele |
hernia of the spinal cord and meninges |
| |
vagal |
pertaining to the tenth cranial nerve |
| |
cerebral cortex |
outer region of the cerebrum (contains gray matter) |
| |
intrathecal |
pertaining to within a sheath through the meninges and into the subarachnoid space |
| |
polyneuritis |
inflammation of many nerves |
| |
thalamic |
pertaining to the thalamus |
| |
myelogram |
x-ray study of the spine (after contrast is injected via lumbar puncture) |
| |
meningioma |
tumor of the meninges |
| |
glioma |
tumor of neuroglial cells (a brain tumor) |
| |
subdural hematoma |
mass of blood below the dura mater (outermost meningeal membrane) |
| |
dyslexia |
reading disorder |
| |
ataxia |
condition of no coordination |
| |
bradykinesia |
condition of slow movement |
| |
hyperesthesia |
condition of increased sensation |
| |
narcolepsy |
seizure of sleep; uncontrollable compulsion to sleep |
| |
aphasia |
inability to speak |
| |
motor apraxia |
inability to perform a task |
| |
hemiparesis |
slight paralysis in the right or left half of the body |
| |
causalgia |
burning pain |
| |
paraplegia |
paralysis in the lower part of the body |
| |
syncope |
fainting |
| |
neurasthenia |
nervous exhaustion (lack of strength) and fatigue |
| |
multiple sclerosis |
destruction of myelin sheath (demyelination) and its replacement by hard plaques |
| |
epilepsy |
sudden, transient disturbances of brain function cause seizures |
| |
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
atrophy of muscles and paralysis caused by damage to motoor neurons in the spinal cord and brainstem |
| |
huntington disease |
patient displays bizarre, abrupt, involuntary, dance-like movements, as well as decline in mental functions |
| |
hydrocephalus |
cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the head (in the ventricles of the brain) |
| |
myasthenia gravis |
loss of muscle strength due to the inability of a neurotransmitter (acetylcholine) to transmit impulses from nerve cells to muscle cells |
| |
parkinson disease |
degeneration of nerves in the basal ganglia occur in later life, leading to tremors, shuffling gait, and muscle stiffness; dopamine (neurotransmitter) is deficient in the brain |
| |
alzheimer disease |
deterioration of mental capacity (dementia); autops shows cerebral cortex atrophy, widening of cerebral sulci, and microscopic neurofibrillary tangles |
| |
bell palsy |
unilateral facial paralysis |
| |
astrocytoma |
tumor of neuroglial brain cells (astrocytes) |
| |
pyogenic meningitis |
inflammation of the meninges (bacterial infection with pus formation) |
| |
tourette syndrome |
involuntary spasmodic, twitching movements (tics), uncontrollable vocal sounds, and inappropriate words |
| |
cerebral contusion |
bruising of brain tissue as a result of direct trauma to the head |
| |
cerebrovascular accident |
disruption of the normal blood supply to the brain; stroke or cerebral infarction |
| |
cerebral concussion |
temporary brain dysfunction; loss of consciousness that usually clears within 24 hours |
| |
herpes zoster |
neurologic condition caused by infection with herpes zoster virus; blisters form along the course of peripheral nerves |
| |
cerebral embolus |
blockage of a blood vessel in the cerebrum caused by material from another part of the body that suddenly occludes the vessel |
| |
cerebral thrombosis |
blockage of a blood vessel in the cerebrum caused by the formation of a clot within a vessel |
| |
cerebral hemorrhage |
bursting forth of blood from a cerebral artery (can cause a stroke) |
| |
cerebral aneurysm |
widening of a blood vessel (artery)in the cerebrum; the aneurysm can burst and lead to a CVA |
| |
HIV encephalopathy |
brain disease (dementia and encephalitis) caused by infection with AIDS virus |
| |
hypothalamus |
part of brain that controls sleep, appetite, temperature, and secretions of the pituitary gland |
| |
syncopal |
pertaining to fainting |
| |
paresthesias |
abnormal tingling sensations |
| |
paresis |
slight paralysis in the right or left half of the body |
| |
radiculitis |
inflammation of a spinal nerve root |
| |
aphasia |
inability to speak |
| |
apraxia |
movements and behavior that are not purposeful |
| |
ataxia |
lack of muscular coordination |
| |
dyslexia |
reading, writing, and learning disorders |
| |
hyperkinesis |
excessive movement |
| |
hemiplegia |
paralysis in one half (right or left) of the body |
| |
paraplegia |
paralysis in the lower half of body |
| |
quadriplegia |
paralysis in all four limbs |
| |
neurasthenia |
nervous exhaustion and fatigue |
