Neurologic Pathophysiology Review

A collection of vocabulary flashcards to aid in the study of neurologic pathophysiology concepts.

Consciousness

State of awareness of oneself and the environment, including responsiveness to external stimuli.

Arousal

State of being awake, mediated by the reticular-activating system.

Awareness

Cognitive functions that embody awareness of self, environment, and affective states.

Coma

State of unresponsiveness with no verbal response to the environment or stimuli.

Delirium

Acute state of brain dysfunction with rapid onset, often characterized by confusion and changes in consciousness.

Dementia

Progressive failure of cerebral functions not caused by impaired consciousness, leading to memory and cognitive decline.

Wernicke's Aphasia

Disturbance in understanding language, including verbal and reading comprehension.

Broca's Aphasia

Expressive dysphasia, characterized by difficulty in speech and writing but with comprehension retention.

Hydrocephalus

Excess fluid within the cranial vault, resulting from interference in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow.

Seizure

Sudden, transient alteration of brain function caused by an explosive discharge of cerebral neurons.

Epilepsy

Disorder characterized by recurrent seizures with no identifiable cause.

Cerebral Edema

Increase in fluid within the brain, leading to distortion of blood vessels and possible herniation.

Agnosia

Inability to interpret sensations and recognize things, often associated with damage to specific brain areas.

CVA (Cerebrovascular Accident)

Abnormality of blood vessels in the brain that can lead to ischemia or hemorrhage.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Brief episode of neurological dysfunction caused by focal disturbance of brain or retinal ischemia.

Pain Threshold

Point at which a stimulus is perceived as painful.

Nociception

Perception of pain involving transduction, transmission, perception, and modulation processes.

Myasthenia Gravis

Chronic autoimmune disease characterized by weakness and fatigue of voluntary muscles due to impaired neuromuscular transmission.

Parkinson's Disease

Progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by dopaminergic neuron loss, leading to movement difficulties.

Huntington's Disease

Autosomal dominant disorder leading to chorea and dementia due to degeneration of basal ganglia.

Multiple Sclerosis

Progressive, inflammatory demyelinating disorder of the CNS, causing a range of neurological symptoms.

Alzheimer's Disease

Progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with memory loss and cognitive decline due to amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles.

Tension-Type Headache

Most common type of headache, characterized by mild to moderate bilateral pain and a sensation of tightness.

Cluster Headache

Severe unilateral headache occurring in clusters, often accompanied by autonomic symptoms.

Migraine

Familial episodic disorder characterized by severe, unilateral headache, usually with nausea and sensitivity to light.