Ch.10 The Nervous System

ambul/o

walk

cephal/o

head

concuss/o

shaken together, violently agitated

contus/o

bruise

ech/o

sound

encephal/o

brain

#NAME?

sensation, feeling

klept/o

to steal

mening/o

membranes, meninges

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

narc/o

numbness, stupor

neur/i, neur/o

nerve, nerve tissue

#NAME?

abnormal fear

psych/o

mind

somn/o

sleep

acrophobia

An excessive fear of being in high places

Alzheimer's Disease

Disorders associated with degenerative changes in the brain structure that lead to symptoms including progressive memory loss, impaired cognition and personality changes.

amnesia

Is a memory disturbance marked by a total partial inability to recall past experiences that can be caused by a brain injury, illness, or psychological disturbance.

amobarbital

A barbiturate medication administered as a sedative and hypnotic.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

AKA: Lou Gehrig's disease, is a degenerative disease of the motor nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord in which patients become progressively weaker until they are completely paralyzed.

analgesic

A medication that relieves pain without affecting consciousness.

anesthesia

The absence of normal sensation, especially sensitivity to pain.

anxiety disorders

Mental conditions characterized by anxiety or fear out of proportion to the real danger in a situation.

anxiolytic drugs

Medication administered to temporarily suppress anxiety; AKA antianxiety drugs or tranquilizers.

aphasia

Is the loss of the ability to speak, write, and or comprehend the written or spoken word.

austistic disorders

AKA autism, are a group of conditions in which a young child cannot develop normal social relationships, compulsively follows repetitive routines, and frequently has poor communication skills.

Bell's palsy

Which is temporary paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve, causes drooping only on the affected side of the face.

catatonic behavior

Is marked by a lack of responsiveness, stupor, and a tendency to remain in a fixed posture.

causalgia

Is persistent severe burning pain that usually follows an injury to a sensory nerve.

cerebral contusion

which is the bruising of brain tissue as a result of a head injury, sometimes causes swelling of the brain.

cerebral palsy

Is a condition characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, speech defects, and other neurologic deficiencies due to damage that affects the cerebrum.

cerebrovascular accident

AKA stroke, is damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted because a blood vessel supplying it is either blocked or has ruptured.

claustrophobia

Is an abnormal fear of being in narrow or enclosed spaces.

cognition

Is the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory

comatose

Refers to a person who is in a coma.

concussion

Is a violent shaking up or jarring of the brain.

cranial hematoma

Is a collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain.

delirium

Is a potentially reversible condition that comes on suddenly and is often associated with high fever, intoxication, or shock.

delirium tremens

An acute organic brain syndrome due to alcohol withdrawal that characterized by sweating, tremor, restlessness, anxiety, mental confusion, and hallucinations.

delusion

A false personal belief that is maintained despite obvious proof or evidence to the contrary.

dementia

Is a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities including memory, thinking, and judgment, often accompanied by personality changes.

dyslexia

A learning disability characterized by substandard reading achievement due to the inability of the brain to process symbols; AKA developmental reading disorder.

dysthymia

A chronic depression present at least 50 percent of the time for more than two years; AKA dysthymic disorder.

echoencephalography

The use of ultrasound imaging to diagnose a shift in the midline structures of the brain.

electroconvulsive therapy

A controlled convulsion produced by the passage of an electric current through the brain used to treat certain mental disorders; AKA electroshock therapy.

electroencephalography

The process of recording the electrical activity of the brain through the use of electrodes attached to the scalp.

encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain.

epidural anesthesia

Regional anesthesia produced by injection a local anesthetic into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine.

factitious disorder

A condition in which a person acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick; previously known as Munchausen syndrome.

grand mal epilepsy

The more severe form of epilepsy that is characterized by generalized seizers.

Guillain-Barre syndrome

Inflammation of the myelin sheath of peripheral nerves, characterized by rapidly worsening muscle weakness that may lead to temporary paralysis; AKA infectious polyneuritis.

hallucination

A sense perception that has no basis in external stimulation.

hemorrhagic stroke

Also known as a bleed, occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures.

hydrocephalus

A condition in which there is an abnormally increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain.

hyperesthesia

A condition of excessive sensitivity to stimuli.

hypochondriasis

A condition characterized by misinterpretation of physical symptoms and fearing that one has a serious illness despite appropriate medical evaluation and reassurance.

lethargy

A lower level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy.

meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges of the brain or spinal cord.

meningocele

The congenital herniation of the meninges that surround the brain or spinal cord through a defect in the skull or spinal column.

multiple sclerosis

A progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by scattered patches of demyelination of nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord.

myelitis

Inflammation of the spinal cord; inflammation of bone marrow.

myelography

A radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of contrast medium through the lumbar puncture.

narcolepsy

Is a sleeping disorder consisting of recurring episodes of falling asleep during the day.

paresthesia

An abnormal sensation, such as burning or prickling, in the extremities that may be caused by a wide range of neurological diseases or nerve damage.

Parkinson's disease

A chronic, degenerative central nervous system disorder in which there is a progressive loss of control over movement resulting in tremors and a shuffling gait.

peripheral neuropathy

A painful condition of the nerves of the hands and feet due to damage to the peripheral nerves; AKA peripheral neuritis.

petit mal epilepsy

The milder form of epilepsy characterized by frequent but only partial seizures; AKA absence epilepsy.

posttraumatic stress disorder

The development of characteristic symptoms after a major traumatic event.

Reye's syndrome

A condition that has been linked to giving aspirin to children suffering from viral infection; affects all organs of the body but is most harmful to the brain and the liver and is potentially fatal.

schizophrenia

A psychotic disorder characterized by two or more of the following; delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, and or negative symptoms.

sciatica

Inflammation of the sciatic nerve.

syncope

Also known as fainting. is the brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain.

tetanus

AKA lockjaw, an acute and potentially fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria.

tic douloureux

AKA trigeminal neuralgia, is the inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve.

transient ischemic attack

Also known as T-I-A, is the temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain.