Medical Terminology Module 10

The peripheral nervous system includes _____ pairs of cranial nerves and _____ pairs of spinal nerves.

12, 31

_____is a severe, recurring, unilateral, vascular headache.

A migraine

The chemical messenger released at the end of a nerve cell that stimulates or inhibits another cell is called:

A neurotransmitter

_____ nerves carry impulses to the brain and spinal cord.

Afferent

A progressive neurologic disorder marked by gradual decline in mental capacity that can begin in middle age but is more frequently seen in the older person is ________ disease.

Alzheimer

ALS is the abbreviation for:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Lou Gehrig disease is another name for:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Mr. Morrison suffers from Lou Gehrig disease. Another term for Lou Gehrig disease is:

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

This threadlike extension carries impulses along a nerve cell.

Axon

________ palsy is a disorder of the facial nerve that results in unilateral facial paralysis.

Bell

The combining form encephal/o means:

Brain

The lower portion of the brain that connects the cerebrum and spinal cord is the:

Brain stem

A burning pain experienced as a result of a peripheral nerve injury is called:

Causalgia

This posterior portion of the brain coordinates voluntary muscle movements and maintains balance.

Cerebellum

_____________ is the radiographic imaging of the blood vessels in the brain after injection of contrast medium.

Cerebral angiography

Accelerating to get through a traffic light before it turned red, Jason was hit broadside by a car coming from the right and flipped. Three backseat passengers were treated and hospitalized for injuries. One backseat passenger lost consciousness at the scene of the accident. However, by the time he arrived at the hospital one hour later, he had regained consciousness and was coherent. No neurologic deficits were noted after a 24-hour observation period. This type of head injury is called a:

Cerebral concussion

The __________ is the outer region of the cerebrum

Cerebral cortex

CVA is the abbreviation for

Cerebrovascular accident

Mrs. Granger, age 77, has a history of hypertension and atherosclerosis. During the past 3 months, she has experienced temporary episodes of paresthesia and paresis of the right arm consistent with TIAs. She now enters the hospital with a CVA. She has aphasia and right-sided hemiplegia. Mrs. Granger's diagnosis on hospitalization was:

Cerebrovascular accident

The combining form cerebr/o means:

Cerebrum

The largest and uppermost section of the brain is the:

Cerebrum

The imaging modality that generates computerized multiple images of the brain and spinal cord using a contrast material is:

Computed tomography

The progressive muscular atrophy of Lou Gehrig disease that eventually progresses to involve most of the body, including the respiratory muscles, is the result of:

Degeneration of motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain stem

The first part of the nerve cell to receive the impulse is the:

Dendrite

This imaging study uses sound waves to detect blood flow in the carotid and intracranial arteries.

Doppler ultrasound

A medical term for abnormal, involuntary, spasmodic movements is:

Dyskinesia

The medical term for a condition of involuntary, spasmodic movements is:

Dyskinesia

Which of the following is a procedure to diagnose abnormal electrical activity of the brain?

EEG

________ nerves carry impulses away from the brain and spinal cord.

Efferent

Which procedure records electrical activity of the brain?

Electroencephalography

Which of the following nervous system cells do not transmit impulses throughout the body? Glial Afferent Nerves Efferent Nerves Neurons

Glial

A fold in the surface of the cerebral cortex is called a:

Gyrus

Which condition develops in response to reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox?

Herpes zoster

Which of the following is a hereditary disorder caused by degenerative changes in the cerebrum?

Huntington disease

Abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain is called:

Hydrocephalus

The __________ activates and integrates the autonomic nervous system and controls pituitary secretions.

Hypothalamus

After losing consciousness, falling, and seizing, Clio, age 5, was brought to the ER by his parents. Two more episodes of tonic-clonic seizures occurred in the ER. Anticonvulsants were started and an EEG ordered. Another term for tonic-clonic seizures is:

Ictal events

The procedure in which CSF is withdrawn for analysis from between two lumbar vertebrae is:

Lumbar puncture

Which of the following diagnostic procedures uses a magnetic field and pulses of radiowave energy to image the brain and spinal cord?

MRI

Preferred imaging technique for viewing brain damage related to infection, inflammation or tumors:

Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Interview of the parents of 5-year-old Clio revealed that for about the last 24 hours, Clio has been irritable, febrile, vomiting, and experiencing cephalgia. On further examination, nuchal rigidity (stiff neck) was noted. The physician performed a lumbar puncture to measure intracranial pressure and to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for analysis. Results confirmed a diagnosis of bacterial meningitis. Clio was started on antibiotics. Which term means inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord?

Meningitis

Destruction of the myelin sheath surrounding neurons in the brain and spinal cord describes which condition?

Multiple sclerosis

MS is the abbreviation for:

Multiple sclerosis

Which of the following is a chronic autoimmune disorder in which the motor neurons fail to transmit impulses to the muscles to cause muscle contraction?

Myasthenia gravis

White fatty tissue that surrounds and insulates the axon of a nerve cell is called:

Myelin Sheath

The white wrapping that surrounds and protects the axon is the:

Myelin sheath

________cele is the protrusion of the meninges and spinal cord through a defect in the spinal column.

Myelomeningo

A nerve cell is a(n):

Neuron

Which of the following is a procedure that uses radioactive material that is taken up by the brain to gather information about the brain?

PET

_____ is a computerized imaging technique that shows the chemical activity of the brain.

PET

________ disease is the degeneration of nerves in the brain leading to tremors, muscle rigidity, and a shuffling gait.

Parkinson

Another name for absence seizures is:

Petit mal seizures

A network of intersecting nerves in the peripheral nervous system is called a:

Plexus

_____neuritis is the inflammation of several nerves.

Poly

The "bridge" between the medulla and the midbrain is the:

Pons

Mrs. Talifori was diagnosed with Parkinson disease. Characteristic symptoms likely to be seen in Mrs. Talifori as the disease progresses include all of the following except:

Quadriplegia

________itis is an inflammatory disease of the nervous system involving the roots of the spinal nerves.

Radicul

The purpose of the blood-brain barrier is to:

Regulate the passage of potentially harmful substances form the blood into the nerve cells of the brain

The suffix -lepsy in the term epilepsy means:

Seizure

Treatment of hydrocephalus involves the use of a __________ to drain the excess cerebrospinal fluid.

Shunt

Which procedure uses an intracranial guiding device to deliver high-dose radiation to the precisely targeted tumor tissue?

Stereotactic radiosurgery

Tonic-clonic seizures are marked by:

Sudden loss of consciousness and generalized involuntary muscle contractions that alternate with rigidity

A depression or groove in the surface of the cerebral cortex is a:

Sulcus

Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography confirmed that Mr. Hullinger has a malignant glioma that is surgically inaccessible. He is scheduled for stereotactic radiosurgery. A glioma is an intracranial tumor that arises from the:

Supportive or connective tissue of the brain

The microscopic space through which an impulse is transmitted is a(n):

Synapse

Through which part of the neuron does an impulse leave the cell?

Terminal end fiber

The main sensory relay center of the brain is the:

Thalamus

The pia mater is the:

Thin, delicate inner membrane of the meninges

Diagnostic studies for Mrs. Granger included an MRI and PET scan. Findings indicated blockage of a cerebral artery by a blood clot with necrosis and edema of the area involved. The type of cerebral infarction Mrs. Granger experienced is called a(n):

Thrombotic stroke

A neurologic disorder marked by tics, uncontrollable vocal sounds, and inappropriate words is called:

Tourette syndrome

Which condition is associated with an excess of or hypersensitivity to dopamine?

Tourette syndrome

TIA is the abbreviation for:

Transient ischemic attack

What is the term for brief episodes of neurologic deficit caused by temporary interference with blood supply to the brain?

Transient ischemic attacks

The combining form vag/o means:

Vagus nerve

The fluid-filled spaces within the brain are called:

Ventricles

An________ means being insensitive to pain.

algesic

The medical term for headache is ceph________.

algia

The sensory warning some people experience before a seizure is called:

an aura

Ms. Kabobi received a(n) ________ic medication to relieve her postoperative pain.

analges

"Star cells" called __________ are a type of glial cell that transports water and salts from capillaries.

astrocytes

A peculiar sensory sensation often preceding the onset of a seizure is called:

aura

Baby James's parents were told that he had spina ________, a congenital defect in the spinal column due to imperfect union of vertebral parts.

bifida

The brain and spinal cord make up the ________ nervous system.

central

The ER physician suspected Baby Chang had meningitis and performed a lumbar puncture to obtain ________spinal fluid for analysis.

cerebro

Where are the thalamus and hypothalamus housed?

diencephalon

The outer layer of the meninges is called the ________ mater.

dura

Electro________ is the recording of the electrical activity of the brain.

encephalography

A general term that means a disease state of the brain is ________:

encephalopathy

Mrs. Jarod's seizures, visual disturbances, and memory deficit were caused by increased intracranial pressure from a malignant, rapidly growing tumor called ________blastoma multiforme.

glio

Tonic-clonic seizures are also known as _______ events.

ictal

The medical term for inflammation of the meninges is __________.

meningitis

A ________cele is the hernial protrusion of the meninges through a defect in the spinal column.

meningo

Baby Casey was born with spina bifida, which resulted in the protrusion of the meninges called a ________cele.

meningo

With __________, antibodies block the ability of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine to transmit the nervous impulse from nerve to muscle cells.

myasthenia gravis

The _____ nervous system consists of the cranial and spinal nerves.

peripheral

A _____________ scan, which is abbreviated ___ scan, is a computerized imaging technique that shows chemical activity of the brain and gives information about brain function.

positron emission tomography, PET

A lumbar puncture is also known as a:

spinal tap

During __________ radiosurgery, a focused beam of radiation, called a(n) _________, can target a tumor to destroy it.

stereotactic, gamma knife

Involuntary nerves that stimulate the body in times of stress and crisis are __________ nerves.

sympathetic

Unlike other cranial nerves, the _____ nerve carries messages to and from the neck, chest, and abdomen.

vagus