Nervous System
Medical terminology Chapter 8
Terms
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- epilepsy
- disorder affecting the central nervous system, characterized by recurrent seizures
- psychotropic drugs
- medications used to treat mental illnesses (trop/o = a turning)
- sedative
- agent that quiets nervousness
- paresthesia
- abnormal sensation of numbness and tingling without objective cause
- radiation therapy
- treatment of neoplastic disease using ionizing radiation to impede proliferation of malignant cells
- myel/o
- spinal cord or bone marrow
- affect
- emotional feeling or mood
- sciatica
- pain that follows the pathway of the sciatic nerve caused by compression or trauma of the nerve or its roots
- paraplegia
- paralysis from the waist down
- multiple sclerosis (MS)
- disease of the central nervous system characterized by the demyelination (deterioation of the myelin sheath) of nerve fibers, with episodes of neurologic dysfunction (exacerbation) followed by recovery (remission)
- huntington chorea or huntington disease
- hereditary disease of the central nervous system characterized by bizarre involuntary body movements and progressive dementia (choros = dance)
- anticovulsant
- agent that prevents or lessens convulsions
- crani/o
- skull
- thalamus
- each of the two gray matter nuclei deep within the brain responsible for
- phoba
- exaggerated fear of a specific object or circmstance that causes anxiety and panic
- meningitis
- inflammation of the meninges
- manic depression bipolor disorder(BD)
- affective disorder characterized by mood swings of mania and depression (extreme up and down states)
- mental retardation
- a condition of subaverage intelligence characterized by an IQ of 70 or below, resulting in the inability to adapt to normal social activities
- cerebr/o
- cerebrum (largest part of brain)
- sterotactic frame
- mechanical device used to localize a point in space targeting a precise site
- motor deficit
- loss or impairment of muscle function
- substance abuse disorders
- metal disorders resulting from abuse of substances such as drugs, alcohol, or other toxins, causing personal and social dysfunction ie. alcohol abuse
- psychosis
- a mental condition characterized by distortion of reality resulting in the inability to communicate or function within one's environment
- panic disorder (PD)
- a disorder of sudden, recurrent attackts of intense feelings, including physical symptoms that mimic a heart attack (rapid heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath, chills, sweating, and dizziness), with a general sense of loss of control or feeling that death is imminent; often progresses to agoraphobia
- gli/o
- glue
- polysomnography
- recording of various aspects of sleep (eg. eye and muscle movements, respiration, and EEG patterns) to diagnose sleep disorders
- cerebral atherosclerosis
- condition of lipid (fat) buildup within the blood vessels of the brain (ather/o = fatty [lipid] paste)
- -plegia
- paralysis
- positron emission tomography (PET)
- technique combining nuclear medicine and computed tomography to produce images of brain anatomy and corresponding physiology; used to study stroke, Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, metabolic brain disorders, chemistry of nerve transmisssions in the brain, and so on; provides greater accuracy than SPECT but is used less often because of cost and limited availability of the radioisotopes
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- a dysfunctino characterized by consisten hyperactivity, distractibility, and lack of control over impulses, which intereferes with ability to function normally at school, home, or work
- ton/o
- tone, tension
- behavioral therapy
- treatment to decrease or stop unwanted behavior
- Lumbar puncture (LP)
- introduction of a specialized needle into the spine inthe lumbar region for diagnostic or therapeutic purpose, such as to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for testing; also called spinal tap
- cerebrospinal fluid
- plasmalike clear fluid circulating in and around the brain and spinal cord
- coma
- a deep sleep; a general term referring to levels of decreases consciousness with varying responsiveness; a common method of assessment is the Glasgow coma scale
- tactile stimulation
- evoking a response by touching
- myasthenia gravis
- autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction causing a progressive decrease in muscle strength; activity resumes and strength returns after a period of rest
- paralysis
- temporary or permanent loss of motor control
- gnos/o
- knowing
- hyprochondriasis
- a preoccupation with thoughts of disease and concern that one is suffereing from a serius condition that persists despite medical reassurance to the contrary
- diskectomy
- removal of a herniated disk; often done percutaneously (per = through; cutaneous = skin)
- temporal lobe
- portion that lies below the frontal lobe, responsible for hearing taste and smell
- fissures
- deep grooves in the brain
- neur/o
- nerve
- partial
- seizure involving only limited areas of the brain with localized symptoms
- kinesio/o
- movement
- bulimia nervosa
- an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by efforts to limit digestion through induced vomited, use of laxatives, or excessive exercise
- syncope
- fainting
- magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)
- magnetic resonance imaging of the blood vessels, for detecting pathologic conditions such as thrombosis and atherosclerosis
- electroencephalogram (EEG)
- record of the minute electrical impulses of the brain, used to identify neurologic conditions that affect brain function and level of consciousness
- reflex testing
- test performed to observe the body's response to a stimulus
- laminectomy
- excision of one or more laminae of the vertebrae to approach the spinal cord
- quadriplegia
- paralysis of all four limbs
- agnosia
- any of many types of loss of neurologic function involving interpretation of sensory informtion
- myelitis
- inflammation of the spinal cord
- schiz/o
- split
- deep tendon reflexes (DTR)
- involuntary muscle contraction after percussion at a tendon (eg. patella, achilles) indicating function; positive findings are either no reflext response or an exaggerated response to stimulus; numbers are often used to record responses
- cerebrovascular disease
- disorder resulting from a change within one or more blood vessels of the brain
- sleep apnea
- periods of breathing cessation (10 seconds or more) that occur during sleep, often causing snoring
- seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- an affective disorder marked by episodes of depression that most often occur during the fall and winder and remit in the spring
- vertebral lamina
- flattened posterior portion of the vertebral arch
- -asthenia
- weakness
- cerebellum
- portion of the brain located below the occipital lobes of the cerebrum, responsible for the control and coordination of skeletal muscles
- neurosis
- a psychological condition in which anxiety is prominent
- generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
- the most common anxiety disorder, characterized by chronic, excessive, uncontrollable worry about everyday problems; affects the ability to relax or cocentrate but does not usually interfere with social interactions or employment; physical symptoms include muscle tension, trembling, twitching, fatigue, headaches, nausea, and insomnia
- psychotherapy
- treatment of psychiatric disorders using verbal and nonverbal interactino with patients, individually or in a group, employing specific actions and techniques
- spinal cord
- column of nervous tissue from the brainstem through the vertebrae, responsible for nerve conduction to and from the brain and the body
- chemotherapy
- treatment of malignancies, infections, and other diseases with chemical agents to destroy selected cells or impair their ability to reproduce
- spina bifida
- congenital defect in the spinal column characterized by the absence of vertebral arches, often resulting in pouching of spinal membranes or tissue
- phor/o
- carry,bear
- indeation
- the formation of thoughts or ideas; for example, suicidal ideation (thoughts of suicide)
- schizophrenia
- a disease of brain chemistry causing a distorted cognitive and emotional perception of one's environment; symptoms include distortions of normal function such as disorganized thought, delusions, hallucinations, and catatonic behavior; negative symptoms include flat affect, apathy, and withdrawal from reality
- mening/o meningi/o
- meninges (membrane)
- hydrocephalus
- abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid int he ventricles of the brain as a result of developmental anomalies, infection, injury, or tumor
- atopognosis
- inability to locate a sensation properly, such as to locate a point touched on the body
- babinski sign or reflex
- pathologic response to stimulation of the plantar surface of the foot; a positive sign is indicated when the toes dorsiflex (curl upward)
- spinal nerves
- 31 pairs of nerves arising from the spinal cord
- Parkinson's disease
- slowly progresive degeneration of nerves in the brain characterized by tremor, rigidity of muscles, and slow movements (bradykinesia), usually occurring later in life
- SPECT brain scan (single photon emission computed tomography)
- scan combining nuclear medicine and computed tomography to produce images of the brain after administration of radioactive isotops
- aphasia
- inability to speak
- thalam/o
- thalamus (a room)
- cerebral embolism
- obstruction of a blood vessel in teh brain by an embolus transported through the circulation
- cerebral arteriosclerosis
- hardening of the arteries of the brain
- encephalitis
- inflammation of the brain
- convulsion
- to pull together; type of seizure that causes a series of sudden, involuntary contractions of uscles
- flaccid paralysis
- defective (flabby) or absent muscle control caused by a nerve lesion
- dysthymia
- a milder affective disorder characterized by chronic depression
- phas/o
- speech
- peripheral nervous system
- nerves that branch fromt he central nervous system, including the nerves of the brain (cranial nerves) and spinal cord (spinal nerves)
- cerebrum
- largest portion of the brain
- nuclear medicine imaging
- radionuclide organ imaging
- dementia
- an impairment of intellectual function characterized by memory loss, disorientations, and confusion (dementio = to be mad)
- spastic paralysis
- stiff and awkward muscle control caused by a central nervous system disorder
- narcolepsy
- sleep disorder characterized by a sudden, uncontrollable need to sleep,attacks of paralysis (cataplexy), and dreams intruding while awake (hypnagogic hallucinations)
- sensory deficit
- loss or impairment of sensation
- microsurgery
- use of a microscope to dissect minute structures during surgery
- cata-
- down
- plegia
- paralysis
- autonomic nervous system
- nerves that carry involuntary impulses to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, and various glands
- dyslexia
- a developmental disability chracterized by a difficulty understanding written or spoken words, sentences, or paragraphs affecting reading, spelling, and self-expression
- brainstem
- region of the brain that serves as a relay between the cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal cord; responsible for breathing, heart rate, and body temperature; the three levels are the mesencephalon (midbrain), pons, and medulla oblongata
- antidepressant
- agent that counteracts depression
- radiography
- x-ray imaging
- motor nerves
- nerves that conduct motor impulses from the brain to muscles and glands; also called efferent (e = out; ferre = carry) nerves
- absence
- seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor involvement; previously termed petit mal( little bad) seizure
- evoked potentials
- minute electrical waves that are sorted out of ongoing EEG activity to diagnose auditory, visual, and sensory pathway disorders
- herniated disk
- protrusion of a degenerated or fragmented intervertebral disk so that the nucleus pulposus protrudes, causing compression on the nerve root
- seizure
- sudden, transient disturbances in brain function resulting from abnormal firing of nerve impulse (may or may not be associated with convulsion)
- parietal lobe
- portion posterior to the frontal lobe, responsible for pain temperature and touch
- cerebral palsy (CP)
- condition of motor dysfunctino caused by damage to teh cerebrum during development or injury at birth; characterized by partial paralysis and lack of muscle coordination (palsy = paralysis)
- stere/o
- three dimensional or solid
- spin/o
- spine (thorn)
- gangli/o
- ganglion (knot)
- posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- a condition resulting from an extremely traumatic experience, injury or illness that leaves the sufferer with persistent thoughts and memories after the ordeal
- encephal/o
- entire brain
- top/o
- place
- sensory nerves
- nerves that conduct impulses from body parts and carry sensory information to the brain; also called afferent (ad = toward; ferre = carry) nerves
- tonic-clonic
- stiffening-jerking; a major motor seizure involving all muscle groups; previously termed grand mal (big bad) seizure
- delusion
- persistent belief that has no basis in reality
- neuroplasty
- surgical repair of a nerve
- hypothalamus
- contro center for the autonomic nervous system located below the thalamus (diencephalon)
- hemiparesis
- partial paralysis of the right or left half of the body
- hypnotic
- agent that induces sleep
- herpes zoster
- viral disease affecting the peripheral nerves characterized by painful blisters that spread over the skin following the affected nerves, usually unilateral; also known as shingles
- dysphoria
- a restless, dissastisfied mood
- cerebral angiogram
- x-ray of blood vessels in the brain after intracarotid injectino of contrast medium
- computed tomography (of the head)
- computed tomography x-ray images of the head used to visualize abnormalities, such as brain tumors and malformations
- -mania
- abnormal impulse (attraction) toward
- obessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- an anxiety disorder featuring unwanted, sensless obessions accompanied by repeated compulsions; can interefere with all aspects of a person's daily life, for example, the thought that a door is not locked with repetitive checking to make sure it is locked
- delirium
- a state of mental confusion caused by disturbances in cerebral function; the many causes include fever, shock, or drug overdose (deliro = to draw the furrow awry when plowing, i.e., to go off the rails)
- symphathetic nervous system
- division of the ANS concerned primarily with preparing the body in stressful or emergency situations
- tax/o
- order or coordination
- neuralgia
- pain along the course of a nerve
- cerebral aneurysm
- dilation of a blood vessel in the brain (aneursym = dilation or widening)
- frontal lobe
- anterior section of cerebral hemisphere responsible for muscle movement and personality
- cognitive therapy
- treatment to change unwanted patterns of thinking
- hemiplegia
- pralysis on one side of the body
- flat affect
- significantly dulled emotional tone or outward reaction
- gyri
- convolutions (mounds) of the cerebral hemispheres
- spondylysyndesis
- spinal fusuion
- antianxiety agents anxiolytic agents
- drugs used to reduce anxiety
- cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
- damage to the brain caused by cerebrovascular disease; e.g. occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus or thrombus or intracranial hemorrhage after rupture of an aneurysm
- lex/o
- word or phrase
- central nervous system (CNS)
- brain and spinal cord
- stereotactic radiosurgery
- radiation treatment to inactivate malignant lesions, using multiple, precise external radiation beams focused on target with the aid of a stereotactice frame and imaging such as CT, MR, or angiography, used to treat inoperable brian tumors and other lesions
- apathy
- a lack of interest or display of emotion
- magnetic resonance imaging
- nonionizing imaging technique using magnetic fields (MRI) and radio frequency waves to visualized anatomic structures (especially soft tissue) such as the tissues of the brain and spinal cord
- somn/o somn/i hypn/o
- sleep
- phob/o
- exaggerated fear or sensitivity
- craniotomy
- incision into the skull to approach the brain
- poliomyelitis
- inflammatino of the gray matter of the spinal cord caused by a virus, often resulting in spinal and muscle deformity and paralysis (polio = gray)
- ventricles
- series of interconnected cavities within the cerebral hemispheres and the brainstem filled with cerebrospinal fluid
- cranial nerves
- 12 pairs of nerves arising from the brain
- mania
- state of abnormal elation and increased activity
- spondyl/o vertebr/o
- vertebra
- migraine headache
- paroxysmal (sudden, periodic) attacks of mostly unilateral headache often accompanied by disordered vision, nausea or vomiting, lasting hours or days, and caused by dilation of arteries
- phren/o psych/o thym/o
- mind
- polyneuritis
- inflammatino involving two or more nerves, often caused by a nutritional deficiency such as lack of thiamine
- sulci
- shallow grooves that separate gyri
- glioma
- tumor of glial cells graded by degree of malignancy
- grandiose delusion
- a person's false belief that he or she possesses great wealth, intelligence, or power
- somat/o
- body
- transcranial sonogram
- image made by sending ultrasound beams hrough the skull to assess blood flow in intracranial vessels; used in diagnosis and management of stroke and head trauma
- anorexia nervosa
- a severe disturbance in eating behavior caused by abnormal perceptions about one's body weight, evidence by an overwhelming fear of becoming fat that results in a refusal to eat and body weight well below normal
- catatonia
- a state of unresponsiveness to one's outside environment, usually including muscle rigidity, staring, and inability to communicate
- autism
- a developmental disability commonly appearing during the first three years of life, resulting from a neurologic disorder affecting brain function, evidence by difficulties with verbal and nonverbal communication, and an inabliity to relate to anything beyond oneself (auto= self) in social interactions
- transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- brief episode of loss of blood flow to the brain; usually caused by a partial occlusion that results in temporary neurologic deficit (impairment); often precedes a CVA
- ventricul/o
- ventricle (belly or pouch)
- analgesic
- agent that relieves pain
- -paresis
- slight paralysis
- meningioma
- benign tumor of the coverings of the brain (meninges)
- Alzheimer disease
- disease of structural changes in the brain resulting in an irreversible deterioration that progreses from forgetfulness and disorientation to loss of all intellectual functions, total disability, and death
- cerebral thrombosis
- presence of a stationary clot in a blood vessel of the brain
- occipital lobe
- portion posterior to the parietal and temporal lobes, responsible for vision
- narc/o
- stupor, sleep
- brain
- portion of the central nervous system contained within the cranium
- light therapy
- use of specialized illuminating light boxes and visors to treat seasonal affective disorder
- major depression
- a disorder causing periodic disturbances in mood that affect concentration, sleep, activity, appetite, and social behavior; characterized by feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, and loss of interest
- craniectomy
- excision of part of the skull to approach the brain
- extracranial MRA
- magnetic resonance image of the neck to visualize the carotid artery
- neuroleptic agents
- drugs used to treat psychosis, especially schizophrenia
- euphoria
- an exaggerated, unfounded feeling of well-being
- cerebell/o
- cerebellum (little brain)
- persecutory delusion
- a person's false belief that someone is plotting against him or her with internt to harm
- asterognosis
- inability to to judge the form of an object by touch ie. a coin from a key
- electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
- electrical shock applied to the brain to induce convulsions; used to treat severely depressed patients
- esthesi/o
- sensation
- myelogram
- x-ray of the spinal cord made after intraspinal injection of contrast medium
- cerebral cortex
- outer layer of the cerebrum consisting of gray matter, responsible for higher mental functions (cortex = bark)
- hyperesthesia
- increased sensitivity to stimulation such as touch or pain
- thought disorder
- thought that lacks clear processing or logical directino
- dysphasia
- difficulty speaking
- intracranial MRA
- magnetic resonance image of the head to visualize the vessels of the circle of WIllis (common site of cerebral aneurysm, stenosis, or occlusion)
- hallucination
- a false perception of the senses for which there is no reality, most commonly hearing or seeing things (aluncinor = to wander in mind)
- -lepsy
- seizure
- meninges
- three membranes that cover te brain and spinal cord, consisting of the dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid mater