AMNESIA
LOSS OF MEMORY CAUSED BY BRAIN DAMAGE OR SEVERE EMOTIONAL TRAUMA
APHASIA
Lack or impairment of the ability to form or understand speech. Less severe forms include dysphasia and dysarthria; dysarthria refers to difficulty in the articulation (pronunciation) of speech.
ASTHENIA
WEAKNESS
ATAXIA
A CONDITION OF A LACK OF COORDINATION
ATHETOSIS
CONTINUOUS, INVOLUNTARY, SLOW, WRITHING MOVEMENT OF THE EXTREMITIES.
COMA
Deep, prolonged unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be aroused; usually the result of a head injury, neurologic disease, acute hydrocephalus, intoxication, or metabolic abnormalities.
CONVULSION
Neuromuscular reaction to abnormal electrical activity within the brain. Causes include fever or epilepsy, a recurring seizure disorder; also called a seizure.
DYSPHAGIA
CONDITION OF DIFFICULTY WITH SWALLOWING
FASCICULATION
INVOLUNTARY CONTRACTION OF SMALL, LOCAL MUSCLES.
PARESTHESIA
FEELING OF PRICKLING, BURNING, OR NUMBNESS
SPASM
Involuntary muscle contraction of sudden onset. Examples are hiccoughs, tics, and stuttering.
SYNCOPE
Fainting. A vasovagal attack is a form of syncope that results from abrupt emotional stress involving the vagus nerve's effect on blood vessels.
TREMORS
Rhythmic, quivering, purposeless skeletal muscle movements seen in some elderly individuals and in patients with various neuro-degenerative disorders.
VERTIGO
Dizziness; abnormal sensation of movement when there is none, either of oneself moving, or of objects moving around oneself.
ANENCEPHALY
A CONGENITAL LACK OF FORMATION OF MAJOR PORTIONS OF THE BRAIN
CRANIORACHISCHISIS
A FAILURE OF THE SKULL AND VERTEBRAL COLUMN TO FUSE DURING FETAL DEVELOPMENT
HYDROCEPHALUS
Condition of abnormal accumulation of fluid in the ventricles of the brain; may or may not result in mental retardation. Although usually diagnosed in babies, may also occur in adults as a result of stroke, trauma, or infection.
SPINA BIFIDA
Condition in which the spinal column has an abnormal opening that allows protrusion of the meninges and/or the spinal cord. This saclike protrusion is termed a meningocele or meningomyelocele
CONCUSSION
Serious head injury characterized by one or more of the following: loss of consciousness, amnesia, seizures, or a change in mental status.
CONTUSION, CEREBRAL
Head injury of sufficient force to bruise the brain. Bruising of the brain often involves the brain surface and causes extravasation of blood without rupture of the pia-arachnoid; often associated with a concussion.
HEMATOMA
Localized collection of blood, usually clotted, in an organ, tissue, or space, due to a break in the wall of a blood vessel (Fig. 11-12). Epidural hematomas occur above the dura mater. Subdural hematomas occur between the dura mater and arachnoid meninges
ENCEPHALITIS
Inflammation of the brain, most frequently caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito.
MENINGITIS
Any infection or inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, most commonly due to viral infection, although more severe strains are bacterial or fungal in nature.
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Degenerative, fatal disease of the motor neurons, in which patients exhibit progressive muscle weakness and atrophy; also called Lou Gehrig's disease.
HUNTINGTON'S DISEASE
Inherited disorder that manifests itself in adulthood as a progressive loss of neural control, uncontrollable jerking movements, and dementia. Also called Huntington's chorea. Chorea is derived from the Latin word for dance.
postpolio syndrome (PPS)
Although poliomyelitis (an inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord) has been virtually eradicated, some patients who had polio report symptoms of exhaustion and muscle and joint pain decades after their initial illness.
PARKINSON'S DISEASE (PD)
Progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by tremors, fasciculations, slow shuffling gait, bradykinesia (slow movement), dysphasia, and dysphagia. Its cause is unknown.
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE (AD)
Progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by tremors, fasciculations, slow shuffling gait, bradykinesia (slow movement), dysphasia, and dysphagia. Its cause is unknown.
MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCI)
Loss or impairment of cognitive abilities, although not as severe as AD. Also called incipient dementia.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)
Neurodegenerative disease characterized by destruction of the myelin sheaths on the CNS neurons (demyelination) and their abnormal replacement by the gradual accumulation of hardened plaques. The disease may be progressive or characterized by remissions a
DYSSOMNIA
Disorders of the sleep-wake cycles. Insomnia is the inability to sleep or stay asleep. Hypersomnia is excessive depth or length of sleep, which may be accompanied by daytime sleepiness.
EPILEPSY
Group of disorders characterized by some or all of the following: recurrent seizures, sensory disturbances, abnormal behavior, and/or loss of consciousness. Types of seizures include tonic clonic (grand mal), accompanied by temporary loss of consciousness
MIGRAINE
Headache of vascular origin. The onset of a migraine may be preceded by an aura, a sensation of light or warmth. Migraines are further classified as intractable (difficult to treat) and with/without status migranosus (lasting longer than 72 hours).
NARCOLEPSY
Disorder characterized by sudden attacks of sleep. Cataplexy is a loss of muscle tone that results in collapse without loss of consciousness (cata- means down).
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Temporary ischemia of cerebral tissue due to an occlusion (blockage) from a thrombus ( pl. thrombi) or embolus ( pl. emboli), or as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage. Results of a TIA depend on the duration and location of the ischemia. These sequelae may
BELL'S PALSY
Paralysis of the facial nerve. Unknown in cause, the condition usually resolves on its own within 6 months
CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME (CTS)
Compression injury that manifests itself as fluctuating pain, numbness, and paresthesias of the hand caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist
CAUSALGIA
NERVE PAIN, DESCRIBED BY PATIENTS AS A "BURNING PAIN
MERALGIA PARESTHETICA
CONDITION OF A BURNING, TINGLING SENSATION IN THE THIGH CAUSED BY INJURY TO ONE OF THE FEMORAL NERVES.
TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA
Chronic facial pain that affects the fifth cranial nerve. Usually experienced on one side of the face. The pain is episodic and intense. Also known as tic doloureux.
Guillain-Barre? syndrome
Autoimmune disorder of acute polyneuritis producing profound myasthenia that may lead to paralysis.
POLYNEUROPATHY
A general term describing a disorder of several peripheral nerves.
MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY (MD)
Group of disorders characterized as an inherited progressive atrophy of skeletal muscle without neural involvement
MYASTHENIA GRAVIS
Usually severe condition characterized by fatigue and progressive muscle weakness, especially of the face and throat.
CEREBRAL PALSY (CP)
Motor function disorder as a result of permanent, nonprogressive brain defect or lesion caused perinatally. Neural deficits may include paralysis, ataxia, athetosis, seizures, and/or impairment of sensory functions.
DIPLEGIA
PARALYSIS OF THE SAME BODY PART ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BODY
HEMIPARESIS
MUSCULAR WEAKNESS OR SLIGHT PARALYSIS ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY
HEMIPLEGIA
PARALYSIS ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY
LOCKED-IN STATE
DAMAGE TO THE UPPER BRAINSTEM THAT LEAVES THE PATIENT PARALYZED AND MUTE
MONOPLEGIA
PARALYSIS OF ONE LIMB ON THE LEFT OR RIGHT SIDE OF THE BODY
PARAPLEGIA
PARALYSIS OF THE LOWER LIMBS AND TRUNK
QUADRIPLEGIA
PARALYSIS OF ARMS, LEGS, AND TRUNK
ASTROCYTOMA
Tumor arising from star-shaped glial cells that is malignant in higher grades. A grade IV astrocytoma is referred to as a glioblastoma multiforme, the most common primary brain cancer.
EPENDYMOMA
Tumors of the cells that line the ventricles of the brain. In children ependymomas are usually intracranial; in adults they are most often intraspinal.
MEDULLOBLASTOMA
Tumors of the cells that line the ventricles of the brain. In children ependymomas are usually intracranial; in adults they are most often intraspinal.
MENINGIOMA
Slow growing, usually benign tumor of the meninges. Although benign, may cause problems because of its size and location
NEUROBLASTOMA
Highly malignant tumor arising from either the autonomic nervous system or the adrenal medulla. Usually affects children younger than 10 years of age.
GANGLIONEUROMA
USUALLY BENIGN, SLOW-GROWING TUMOR THAT ORIGINATES IN THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM CELLS.
NEUROFIBROMA
BENIGN FIBROUS TUMORS OF TISSUE SURROUNDING THE NERVE SHEATH
SCHWANNOMA
A TYPE OF TUMOR, BENIGN OR MALIGNANT, THAT IS MOST COMMONLY FOUND IN THE INNER EAR (VESTIBULAR SCHWANNOMA)
CEREBRAL ANGIOGRAPHY
X-ray of the cerebral arteries, including the internal carotids, taken after the injection of a contrast medium (Fig. 11-21); also called cerebral arteriography.
CHEMOTHALAMECTOMY
Injection of chemical substance to destroy part of the thalamus. Used to treat Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.
CORDOTOMY
INCISION OF THE SPINAL CORD TO RELIEVE PAIN. (CHORDOTOMY)
CRANIOTOMY
Incision into the skull as a surgical approach or to relieve intracranial pressure; also called trephination.
DEEP TENDON REFLEXES (DTR)
Assessment of an automatic motor response by striking a tendon. Useful in diagnosis of TIA and CVA. Babinski's sign is the loss or diminution of the Achilles tendon reflex seen in sciatica.
echoencephalography
Ultrasound exam of the brain, usually done only on newborns because sound waves do not readily penetrate bone.
ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY (EEG)
Record of the electrical activity of the brain. May be used in the diagnosis of epilepsy, infection, and coma
GANGLIONECTOMY OF THE DORSAL ROOT
REMOVAL OF THE DORSAL ROOT GANGLIA TO TREAT PAIN
HEMISPHERECTOMY
Removal of a cerebral hemisphere to treat intractable epilepsy.
LUMBAR PUNCTURE (LP)
Procedure to aspirate CSF from the lumbar subarachnoid space. A needle is inserted between two lumbar vertebrae to withdraw the fluid for diagnostic purposes. Once removed, the CSF is analyzed to detect pathogens and abnormalities. Also called a spinal ta
MYELOGRAPHY
X-ray of the spinal canal after the introduction of a radiopaque contrast.
NERVE BLOCK
USE OF ANESTHESIA TO PREVENT SENSORY NERVE IMPULSES FROM REACHING THE CNS.
NERVE CONDUCTION TEST
Test of the functioning of CNS or peripheral nerves. Conduction time (impulse travel) through a nerve is measured after a stimulus is applied; used to diagnose polyneuropathies.
NEURECTOMY
EXCISION OF PART OR ALL OF A NERVE TO ALLEVIATE PAIN
NEUREXERESIS
REMOVAL OF THE FIFTH CRANIAL NERVE TO TREAT TRIGEMINAL NEURALGIA
NEUROPLASTY
SURGICAL REPAIR OF A NERVE
NEUROTOMY
Incision of a nerve. Radiofrequency ablation is used to treat facet joint pain in the neck and back.
PALLIDOTOMY
Destruction of the globus pallidum to treat Parkinson's disease. The procedure relieves muscular rigidity and tremors.
PHRENEMPHRAXIS
Crushing of the phrenic nerve to cause its paralysis. Also called phrenicotripsy and phreniclasis.
POLYSOMNOGRAPHY
Measurement and record of a number of functions while the patient is asleep (e.g., cardiac, muscular, brain, ocular, and respiratory functions). Most often used to diagnose sleep apnea.
RHIZOTOMY
RESECTION OF THE DORSAL ROOT OF A SPINAL NERVE TO RELIEVE PAIN
SYMPATHECTOMY
Surgical interruption of part of the sympathetic pathways for the relief of chronic pain or to promote vasodilation.
TRACTOTOMY
CUTTING OF A NERVE TRACT TO ALLEVIATE PAIN
transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)
METHOD OF PAIN CONTROL EFFECTED BY THE APPLICATION OF ELECTRICAL IMPULSES TO THE SKIN
VAGOTOMY
CUTTING OF A BRANCH OF THE VAGUS NERVE TO REDUCE THE SECRETION OF GASTRIC ACID
VENTRICULOCISTEMOSTOMY
THE CREATION OF A NEW OPENING BETWEEN A BLOCKED VENTRICLE AND A CEREBRAL CISTERN. USED TO TREAT HYDROCEPHALUS.
VENTRICULOPERITONEOSTOMY
Procedure to drain fluid from brain ventricles through a shunt, catheter, and valve that leads to the abdominal cavity. Neuroendoscopy, a procedure that uses a fiberoptic camera to visualize neural structures, is used to place the shunt.
ventriculostomy, endoscopic
A new opening between the third ventricle and the subarachnoid space used to treat one type of hydrocephalus.