C C 306M: Nervous System - Symptomatic and Diagnostic Terms
Terms
undefined, object
copy deck
- sciatica
- pain that follows the pathway of the sciatic nerve caused by compression or trauma of the nerve or its roots
- cerebral thrombosis
- presence of a stationary clot in a blood vessel of the brain
- tonic-clonic
- stiffening-jerking; a major motor seizure invlving all muslc egroups -- previously termed grand mal (big bad) seizure
- epilepsy
- disorder affecting the central nervous system characterized by recurrent seizures
- motor deficit
- loss or impairment of muscle function
- reflex sympathetic dystrophy (RSD)
- condition of abnormal function of the sympathetic nervous system in response to pain perception, usually as the result of an injury to an extremity; symptoms include persistent burning pain, tissue edema, joint renderness, changes in skin color and temperature, and abnormal sweating at the pain site -- decreased mobility caused by pain can lead to muscle atrophy and loss of motor function
- paresthesia
- abnormal sensation of numbness and tingling without onjective cause
- herniated disk
- protrusion of a degenerated or fragmented intervertebral disk so that the nucleus pulposus protrudes, causing compression on the nerve root
- carotid TIA
- ischemia of the anterior circulation of the brain
- astereognosis
- inability to judge the form of an object by touch (e.g., a coin from a key)
- dysphasia
- difficulty speaking
- poliomyelitis
- inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord caused by a virus, often resulting in spinal and muscle deformity and paralysis (polio = gray)
- narcolepsy
- sleep disorder characterized by a sudden, uncontrollable need to sleep, attacks of paralysis (cataplexy), and dreams intruding while awake (hypnagogic hallucinations)
- Huntington disease (HD)
- hereditary disease of the central nervous system
- quadriplegia
- paralysis of all four limbs
- absence
- seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor involvement -- previousle termed petit mal (little bad) seizure)
- multiple sclerosis (MS)
- disease of the central nervous system characterized by the demyelination (deterioration of the myelin sheath) of nerve fibers, with episodes of neurological dysfunction (exacerbation) followed by recovery (remission)
- meningitis
- inflmmation of the meninges
- hydrocephalus / hydrocephaly
- abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain as a result of developmental anomalies, infection, injury, or tumor
- myelitis
- inflammation of the spinal cord
- syncope
- fainting
- plegia
- paralysis
- meningioma
- benign tumor of the coverings of the brain
- hyperesthesia
- increased sensitivity to stimulation such as touch or pain
- cerebrovascular disease
- disorder resulting from a change within one or more blood vessels of the brain
- migraine headache
- paroxysmal attacks of mostly unilateral headache oftena ccompanied by disordered vision, nausea, and/or vomiting, lasting hours or days and caused by dilation of arteries
- cerebrovascular accident (CVA) / stroke
- 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)
- spastic paralysis
- stiff and awkward muscle control caused by a central nervous system disorder
- cerebral embolism
- obstruction of a blood vessel in the brain by an embolus transported through the circulation
- cerebral atherosclerosis
- condition of lipid (fat) buildup within the blood vessels of the brain (ather/o = fatty [lipid] paste)
- herpes zoster
- viral disease affecting the peripheral nerves, characterized by painful blisters that spread over the skin following the affected nerves, usually unilaterally -- also known as shingles
- atopognosis
- inability to locate a sensation properly, such as to locate a point touched on the body
- flaccid paralysis
- defective (flabby) or absent muscle control caused by a nerve lesion
- sensory deficit
- loss or impairment of sensation
- delirium
- state of mental confusion due to disturbances in cerebral function -- there are many causes, invluding fever, shock, or drug overdose (deliro = to draw the furrow awry in plowing, i.e., to go off the rails)
- myasthenia gravis
- autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction, causing a progressive decrease in muscle strength with activity and a return of strength after a period of rest
- glioma
- tumor of glial cells graded by degree of malignancy
- Huntington chorea
- characterized by bizarre involuntary body movements and progressive dementia (choros = dance)
- Parkinson disease
- condition of slowly progressive degeneration of an area of the brainste, (substantia nigra) resulting in a decrease of dopamine (a chemical neurotransmitter that is necessary for proper movement); characterized by tremor, rigidity of muscles, and slow movements (bradykinesia), usually occuring later in life
- sleep apnea
- periods of breathing cessation that occur during sleep, often causing snoring
- paraplegia
- paralysis from the waist down
- Alzheimer disease
- disease of structual changes in the brain resulting in an irreversible deterioration of motor nerve cells resulting in total loss of voluntary muscle control; symptoms advance from muscle weakness in the arms, legs, and muscles of speech, swallowing, and breathing to total paralysus and death -- also known as Lou Gehrig disease
- partial
- seizure involving only limited areas of the brain with localized symptoms
- convulsion
- to pull together; type of seizure that causes a series of sudden, involuntary contraction of muscles
- transient ischemic attack (TIA)
- brief episode of loss of blood flow to the brain usually caused by a partial occlusion that results in temporary neurological deficit (impairment) -- often precedes a CVA
- dysarthria
- condition of difficuly articulation; group of related speech impairments that may affect the speed, range, direction, strength, and timing of motor movement as a result of paralysis, weakness, or incoordination of speech muscles (arthr/o = articulation)
- cerebral arteriosclerosis
- hardening of the arteries of the brain
- encephalitis
- inflammation of the brain
- neuralgia
- pain along the course of a nerve
- hemiplegia
- paralysus on one side of the body
- cerebral aneurysm
- dilation of a blood vessel in the brain (aneurysm = dilation or widening)
- hemiparesis
- partial paralysis of the right or left half of the body
- seizure
- sudden, transient disturbances in brain function resulting from abnormal firing of nerve impulses (may or may not be associated with convulsion)
- cerebral palsy (CP)
- condition of motor dysfunction caused by damage to the cerebrum during development or injury at birth, characterized by partial paralysis and lack of muscle coordination (palsy = paralysis)
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- a condition of progressive deterioration of motor nerve cells resulting in total loss of voluntary muscle control; symptoms advance from muscle weakness in the arms, legs, muscles of speech, swallowing, and breathing to total paralysis and lack of muscle coordination (palsy = paralysis)
- dementia
- impairment of itnellectual function characterized by memory loss, disorientation, and confusion (dementio = to be mad)
- vertebrobasilar TIA
- ischemia of the posterior circulation of the brain
- spina bifida
- congential defect in the spinal column characterized by the absence of vertebral arches, often resulting in pouching of spinal membranes or tissue
- polyneuritis
- inflammation involving two or more nerves, often owing to a nutritional deficiency such as lack of thiamine
- tatile stimulation
- evoking a responnse by touching
- paralysis
- temporary or permanent loss of motor control
- coma
- general term referring to levesl od decreased consciousness with varying responsiveness; a common method of assessment is the Glasgow coma scale
- agnosia
- any of many types of loss of neurological function associated with interpretation of sensory information
- aphasia
- condition without speech; impairment due to locaclized brain injury that affects understanding, retrieving, and formulating meaningful and suquential elements of language