Medical Terminology Module 10 Vocab- Nervous System and Brain

Strabismus

Disorder of the eye where optic axes cannot be directed to same object, due to lack of muscular coordination. The squinting eye always deviates to the same extent when the eyes are carried in different directions

Hypercholesterolemia

Excessive amount of cholesterol in the blood

Atheroschlerosios

Form of arteriosclerosis where there are localized accumulations of lipid-containing material (athermoas) within or beneath the intimal surface of blood vessels. One of the common causes of arterial occlusion

Myelinated axon

Found in central nervous system

Unmyelinated axon

Found in gray areas of central nervous system and in autonomic nervous system

Corpora quadrigemina

Four small lobes associated with visual and auditory functions

Echopraxia

Imitation without meaning of motions made by others

Dyxtonia

Impaired or disordered tonicity, especially muscle tone

Dysphasia

Impairment of speech due to a brain lesion

Dyslalia

Impairment of speech due to defect of speech organs

Convergence

In reflex activity, the coming together of several axons upon one or a few motor neurons, the condition whereby impulses from several sensory receptors converge upon the same motor center, resulting in a limited and specific response

Dysphagia

Inability or difficulty swallowing

Aphasia

Inability to express oneself through speech or loss of verbal comprehension

Alexia

Inability to read due to a central lesion

Hydrocephalus

Increased accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles of the brain. In severe cases in children, the head is usually globular or pyramidal in shape. Face is disproportionately small. Eyes hidden in sockets and turned upward

Myeloradiculitis

Inflammation of spinal cord and dorsal roots of spinal nerves

Pia mater

Innermost membrane

Arachnoid

Intermediate membrane

Echolalia

Involuntary, parrot like repetition of words spoken by others, often accompanied by twitching muscles. Frequently seen in catatonic schizophrenia

Cerebellum

Involved with coordination of skeletal and voluntary muscle movement

Cerebrum

Largest part of brain, two hemispheres separated by deep longitudinal fissures

Pons

Links medulla to cerebellum and upper brain portions

Alalia

Loss of ability to speak due to defect or paralysis of the vocal organs

Agnosia

Loss of comprehension of auditory, visual or other sensation, although the sensory hemisphere is intact, inability to recognize an object

Medulla oblongata

Lower portion of brain stem

Meninges

Membranes enclosing spinal cord and brain

Dura mater

Most exterior membrane

Ataxia

Muscular incoordination, especially that manifested when voluntary muscular movements are attempted

Aqueduct of Sylvlus

Narrow canal from 3rd to 4th ventricle

Fasciculus

Nerve fibers that occur in bundles. Individual nerve fibers in fasciculus covered by endoneurium, fasciculus unit protected by perineurium, nerve protected by epineurium

Embolism

Obstruction of a blood vessel by foreign substances or a blood clot

Crura cerebri

Pair of bands joining cerebellum to medulla and pons

Hemiparesis

Paralysis affecting only one side of the body

Paraplegia

Paralysis of lower portion of the body and both legs

Myelin sheath

A semifluid covering of the axon consisting of a layer of lipid and protein substanves

Dysarthria

A term meaning difficulty in joint articulation, but often applied to speech, meaning stammering or imperfect speech

Lamina

A thin flat layer or membrane

Stereognosis

Ability to recognize form of solid objects by touch

Opisthotonos

An arched position of the body with feet and head on the floor caused by tetanic spasm. Seen in severe cases of meningitis and tetanus

Dyslexia

An imprecise term used to denote a variety or reading, writing, and learning disorders

Fontanel

An unossified space or soft spot lying between the cranial bones of the fetal skull

Afferent/sensory neuron

Carry impulses to brain and spinal cord

Insula

Central lobe

Multiple sclerosis

Chronic, slowly progressing disease of the central nervous system, characterized by development of disseminated demylinated glial patches, called plaques. Symptoms of later stages are: nystagmus, scanning speech, and intention tremor. There is no specific therapy

Akinesia/akinesis

Complete or partial loss of muscle motion, movement

Brain

Composed of neurons in neuroglia

Hypertension

Condition in which a patient has a higher than normal blood pressure

Spina bifida

Congenital defect of the walls of the spinal canal

Nystagmus

Constant involuntary, cyclical movement of the eyeball

Perseveration

Continued repetition of a meaningless word or phrase, or repetition of answers which are not related to successive questions asked

Tonoclonic

Both tonic and clonic- said of muscle spasms

Efferent/motor neuron

Conduct impulses away from brain and spinal column

Axon

Conducts impulses away from cell body

Astrocytes

Have radiating processes and contribute to repair of CNS

Vertigo

Sensation of moving around in space or of having objects moving around the person. The person has difficulty in maintaining equilibrium due to a disturbance of the sense of balance

Palliative

Serving to relieve or alleviate, without curing

Microcephalus

Person with an exceptionally small head, mentally challenged encephalitis-inflammation of the brain

Saphenous

Pertaining to or associated with a saphenous vein or nerve in the leg

Congenital

Present at birth

Lumbar puncture

Puncture made by placing an aspiration needle into the subarachnoid space of the spinal cord. Usually done in the lumbar area

Dendrites

Receive and conduct impulses to cell body and form synaptic connections with other neurons

Flaccid

Relaxed, flabby, having defective or absent muscle tone

Microgliocytes

Remove dead/foreign material from CNS, phagocytic cells

Oligodendrocytes

Satellite cells of neurons

Sciatica

Severe pain in the leg along the course of sciatic nerve felt at the back of the thigh and running down the inside of the leg

Myelomeningocele

Spina bifida with portion of cords and membranes protruding

Apoplexy

Sudden loss of consciousness followed by paralysis due to hemorrhage into the brain, or formation of an embolus or thrombus, which occludes an artery

Neuron

The basic structural and functional unit of the nervous system

Summation

The cumulative action or effect, as of stimuli. An organ reacts to two or more weak stimuli as if they were a single strong one

Thrombosis

The formation or development of a blood clot or thrombus

Confabulation

The relating of imaginary experiences to fill in gaps in the memory

Neurofibrils

Tiny fibrils or fibers extending longitudinally into the axon and dendrites

Neuroglia

Tissues which form the supporting elements of the nervous system