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Definitions L

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Lie Scale
MMPI validity scale - designed to detect patients claiming an unrealistic degree of personal virtue
what is the "L" term for a lack of concern for sensory or motor impairment? Often seen patients with conversion disorders who show an inappropriate lack of concern about their disabilities
La Belle Indifference
this is a vein that connects the middle cerebral vein and the lateral sinus - also called the superior anastomotic vein
vein of Labbe
what "L" term from the latin "labi" to slip is used to describe rapid mood swings
Labile
Lacuna (cerebral)
a small area of ischemic infarction resulting from occlusion of the small distal branches of the MCA, PCA or basilar artery
What "L" syndrome is also known as aquired epileptic aphasia?
Landau-Kleffner syndrome
child develops normally than progressive loss of language and preserved nonverbal function related to EEG abnormalities
what is language?
generally refers to verbal symbol use - in contrast to speech which is physical oral expression
The organ of voice production is the
Larynx
Lateral Dominance Tests
general term for tests of eye and hand preference (Annett Questionnaire, Harris Test, Edinburgh, Reitan-Klove
Lead Pipe Rigidity
associated with involuntary movement disorders - steady resistance is felt through the range of movement
Lead Poisoning
Pb is a common neurotoxin present in soil, paint, pipes. Children at higher risk. Damage can result in IQ deficits, behavioral problems, encephalopahty, death.
what is learning?
process of acquiring new information into memory
what is a learning curve?
graph in which a learning index is plotted as a function of trials
Learning Disability
heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by difficulties with reading, math, written expression. Presumed to be due to nervous system dysfunction. Schools often operationally define LD by discrepancy formula. More recent shift to RTI (response to intervention) model.
Leiter International Performance Scale
test of cognitive ability designed for children with hearing or language impairments. Currently at revised edition
Lemniscus
sensory fiber bundle in the medulla and pons relay epicritic (tactile and kinesthetic) info up to the thalamus
Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome
childhood encephalopathy characterized by generalized seizures, diffuse slow spike and wave EEG complexes, and mental retardation
Lenticulostriate arteries
Branch off of MCA. Supplies basal ganglia structures: Part of head and body of caudate, globus pallidus, putamen, and the posterior limb of the internal capsule.
Lentiform Nucleus (lenticular)
part of the striatum comprising the putamen and globus pallidus
Leptokurtic
A leptokurtic distribution is symmetrical in shape, similar to a normal distribution, but the center peak is much higher; that is, there is a higher frequency of values near the mean.
Leptomeninges
the pia and arachnoid- the delicate meninges
Leptomeningitis
inflammation of the pia and arachnoid
Lesch-Nyhan Disease
rare metabolic disease - x linked recessive. Normal development until 6-9 months of age when hypo and hypertonia appear, aggression, compulsive self mutilation of the lips, tremor, dysarthria, mental retardation. Death is usually due to renal failure in the first or second decade of life.
Lethargy
drowsy,inactive, indifferent to external stimuli
Letter Blindness
an unproven syndrome in which words could be read normally, even though letters cannot be recognized
Letter Cancellation
general term for tests of attention and hemispatial neglect that require the subject to mark targets in an array.
Letter by Letter Reading
type of acquired alexia in which print to sound conversion is done letter by letter
Letter Number Sequencing
wechsler subtest - patient has to rearrange mixed up letters and numbers in numerical or alphabetical order - measure of working memory
Leukoaraiosis
attenuation of the cerebral white matter - associated with ischemic lesions, alz disease or normal aging
Leukodystrophy
disturbance or degeneration of white matter- associated with metabolic diseases (ALD, MLD)
Leukoencephalitis
inflammation of the white matter
Leukoencephalopathy
disease affecting the white matter of the brain -seen in AIDS
Leukomalacia
softening of the white matter - commonly seen in anoxia - and prematurity - periventricular leukomalacia
Leukotomy
incision of the white matter performed as a disconnection procedure
By now you should know that when the term Leuko is used you are dealing with ____ matter
white
Levodopa (l-dopa)
used to treat parkinson's - replaces dopamine
Levodopa induced dyskinesia
abnormal involuntary movements following prolonged ldopa treatment
Lewy Body Dementia
the second most frequent cause of degenerative dementia in elderly adults - associated with abnormal structures (Lewy bodies) found in certain areas of the brain.
Lexical Decision Task
experimental task in which subjects decide about specific lexical qualities of stimulus words or sounds
Lexicon
knowledge of the phonological representation and grammatical aspects of words - a lexicon organizes the mental vocabulary in a speaker's mind
Lhermitte's sign
electric like sensation that extends from the neck down the body when the head is flexed forward. Seen in MS, cervical cord injury, cervical cord tumor
Limbic Encephalitis
syndrome of progressive dementia resulting from neoplasm. inflammation of limbic cortex results in agitation, confusion, hallucinations or seizures
Limbic System
group of brain structures (hippocampus, amygdala, dentate gyrus, cingulate gyrus)associated with arousal, motivation, emotion, memory, olfaction
Limb Kinetic Apraxia
inability to make fine, precise movements with a limb
Line Bisection
test used to assess hemispatial inattention- patient marks through center of each line - look for placements to the right or left
Fat soluble elements are called
Lipids
Lipoprotein
compound containing both lipids and proteins. High levels of low density lipoproteins (LDL) are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease and stroke - increased HDL's may reduce such risks
Lissencephaly
brain malformation - failure of gyri to develop - smooth cortical surface. Associated with severe mental retardation
LLE
left lower extremity
Lobectomy
surgial resection of a lobe of the brain. Most frequently performed lobectomies involve anterior temporal lobe in patients with intractable seizures
Lobotomy
surgical destruction of tracts and cell bodies to isolate a cerebral lobe. Most common was frontal in severe psychiatric disorders
LOC
loss of consciousness
Locked-in Syndrome
complete paralysis due to bilateral lesions of motor pathways and lower cranial nerves in the pons or medulla, usually resulting from occlusion of basilar artery
The ____ cranial nerve is spared in Locked in syndrome
3rd (oculomotor) - voluntary vertical eye movement is possible - can communicate by blinking
True or False
cognitive functioning is impaired in locked in syndrome
false
coma vigil is another name for
locked in syndrome
Locus Ceruleus
cluster of neurons in dorsal pons - contains majority of norepinephrine neurons in CNS
Locus Ceruleus neurons are activated during states of ...
heightened vigilance
Logogen
hypothetical lexical unit representing the visual, phonological, and semantic characteristics of a word
Logorrhea
excessive agitated speech characterized by difficulty with grammar, lack of content, illogical sequencing. Can be associated with Wernicke's aphasia
Long Tract Signs
neurologic abnormalities due to upper motor neuron lesions - hyperreflexia, babinski signs
Longitudinal Fissure
cleft that separates left and right hemisphere - aka interhemispheric fissure
Long Term Potentiation
electrophysiological phenomenon of postsynaptic excitability following stimulation that may last up to several weeks.
Long term potentiation is thought to be a mechanism involved in ...
memory and learning
Loss of Consciousness
impaired responsiveness thought to reflect diffuse brain dysfunction. Duration of LOC is used as a measure of TBI
Lower Motor Neuron (LMN)
cell bodies and tracts of cranial nerves or anterior horn cells of the spinal cord that innervate muscle
LMN lesions are associated with ...
hyporeflexia, decreased tone, muscle atrophy
Lumbar Puncture (LP)
technique for obtaining csf by inserting a needle into the spinal canal in the lumbar region.
LP reveals bloody CSF - patient may have had a
subarachnoid hemorrhage
Luria-Nebraska Neuropsychological Battery
adaptation of Luria's approach modified to produce quantitative scores
Luria Neuropsychological Investigation
Collection of Luria's techniques - qualitative structured assessment.
Luxury perfusion
angiographic phenomenon seen after a cerebral infarction for hours to days after a stroke - enhanced capillary blush and ealry venous filling
Lyme Disease
multisystem disease caused by a spirochete and transmitted by ticks. 10-15% of nontreated patients develop nervous system involvement.
The clinical triad of Lyme Disease is ...
lymphocytic meningitis, painful radiculoneuritis, and cranial neuritis. Some have memory difficulties.

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