touchy feely

caus/o

burning, burn

cerebr/o

cerebrum, brain

concuss/o

shaken together, violently agitated

contus/o

bruise

encephala/o

brain

-esthesia

sensation, feeling

esthet/o

feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception

-graphy

the process of producing a picture or record

mening/o

membranes, meninges

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

neur/I, neur/o

nerve, nerve tissue

phobia

abnormal fear

psych/o

mind

radicul/o

root or nerve root

tropic

having an affinity for

central nervous system

includes brain & spinal cord, receives and processes information and regulates all body activity

peripheral nervous system

includes 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of peripheral spinal nerves, transmits nerve signals to and from the central nervous system

nerve

one or more bundles of neurons that connect the brain and the spinal cord with other parts of the body

tract

bundle or group of nerve fibers located within the brain or spinal cord

afferent neurons

emerge from sensory organs and the skin to carry impulses from the sensory organs toward the brain and spinal cord

connecting neurons

neurons that link afferent and efferent neurons

efferent neurons

neurons that carry impulses away from the brain and spinal cord and towards the muscles and glands

ganglion

nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous system

innervation

the supply of nerves to a specific body part

plexus

network of intersecting spinal nerves

receptors

sites in the sensory organs that receive external stimulation

stimulus

anything that excites a nerve and carries an impulse

reflex

automatic, involuntary response to some change, wither inside or outside the body

neurons

basic cells of the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with each other

dendrites

root like processes that receive impulses and conduct them to the cell body

axon

process that conducts impulses away from the nerve cell

terminal end fibers

branching fibers at the end of the axon that lead the nervous impulse from the axon to the synapse

synapse

space between two neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ

neurotransmitters

chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse of a neuron to the target receptor

glial cells

provide support and protection for neurons

myelin sheath

protective covering made up of glial cells

meninges

system of membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord

dura mater

thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges

arachnoid membrane

second layer of the meninges, located between the dura mater and pia mater

pia mater

consists of delicate connective tissue that contains a rich supply of blood vessels, layer of meninges located nearest to the brain and spinal cord

cerebrospinal fluid

produced by special capillaries within the four ventricles located in the middle region of the cerebrum; clear, colorless & watery fluid that flows throughout brain and spinal cord

cerebrum

largest and uppermost portion of the brain, responsible for all thought, judgment, memory & emotion as well as controlling and integrating motor and sensory functions

cerebral

pertaining to the cerebrum or to the brain

cerebral cortex

made up of gray matter, is the outer layer of the cerebrum and is made up of elevated folds and deep fissures

Cerebral Lobes

frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe

thalamus

located below the cerebrum, produces sensations by relaying impulses to and from the cerebrum and the sense organs of the body

hypothalamus

a neural structure lying below the thalamus; it directs several maintenance activities (eating, drinking, body temperature), helps govern the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, and is linked to emotion and reward.

cerebellum

second largest part of the brain, located at the back of the head below the posterior portion of the cerebrum, produce smooth and coordinated movements, maintains equilibrium, sustains normal postures

brainstem

stalk like portion of the brain that connects the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord

midbrain

A small part of the brain above the pons that integrates sensory information and relays it upward.

pons

A hindbrain structure that connects the medulla to the two sides of the cerebellum; helps coordinate and integrate movements on each side of the body

medulla oblongata

located at the lowest part of the brainstem, is connected to spinal cord, controls basic survival functions

spinal cord

fragile, tube like structure that begins at the end of the brainstem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spinal column

autonomic nervous system

controls the involuntary actions of the body such as the functioning of internal organs

sympathetic nerves

prepare the body for emergencies and stress by increasing the breathing rate, heart rate and blood flow to muscles

parasympathetic nerves

return the body to normal after a response to stress

anesthesiologist

physician who specializes in administering anesthetic agents before and during surgery

anesthetist

medical professional who specializes in administering anesthetics, but is not a physician

neurologist

physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the nervous system

neurosurgeon

physician who specializes in surgery of the nervous system

psychiatrist

physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating chemical dependencies, emotional problems and mental illnesses

psychologist

evaluates and treats emotional problems and mental illness

cephalalgia

also known as a headache

migraine headache

characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head

cluster headache

intensely painful headaches that affect one side of the head and may be associated with tearing of the eyes and nasal congestion

encephalocele

congenital herniation of the brain tissue through a gap in the skull

meningocele

congenital herniation of the meninges through a defect in the skull or spinal column

hydrocephalus

condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain

meningioma

common, slow growing, and usually benign tumor of the meninges

meningitis

inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord, can be cause by a bacterial or viral infection

cognition

describes the mental activities associated with thinking, learning and memory

dementia

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

vascular dementia

form of dementia cause by a stroke or other restriction of the flow of blood to the brain

encephalitis

inflammation of the brain, caused by a viral infection

Reye's Syndrome

potentially serious or deadly disorder in children characterized by vomiting and confusion, sometimes follows a viral illness in which the child was treated with aspirin

Tetanus

acute and potentially fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria

Tourette Syndrome

complex neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics, grunts, and compulsive utterances that sometimes include obscentities

Alzheimer's disease

group of disorders involving the parts of the brain that control thought, memory and language; leading cause of dementia

Parkinson's disease

chronic, degenerative central nerve disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, and a slow or shuffling gait

amnesia

memory disturbance characterized by a total or partial inability to recall past experiences

concussion

violent shaking up or jarring of the brain

cerebral contusion

the bruising of brain tissue as a result of a head injury that causes the brain to bounce against the rigid bone of the skull

cranial hematoma

collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain

traumatic brain injury

blow to the head or a penetrating head injury that damages the brain

shaken baby syndrome

results of a child being violently shaken by someone

levels of consciousness

measurement of response to arousal and stimulus

conscious

state of being awake, alert, aware and responding appropriately

unconscious

state of being unaware and unable to respond to any stimuli, including pain

lethargy

lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness and apathy

stupor

unresponsive state from which a person can be aroused only briefly despite vigorous, repeated attempts

syncope

also known as fainting, the brief loss of consciousness caused by decreased flow of blood to the brain

coma

profound state of unconsciousness marked by the absence of spontaneous eye movement, no response to painful stimuli and the lack of speech

persistent vegetative state

type of coma which the patient exhibits alternating sleep and wake cycles; however the person is unconscious even when appearing to be awake

delirium

acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, agitation and hallucinations; usually caused by a treatable condition

brain tumor

abnormal growth located inside the skull

intracranial pressure

amount of pressure inside the skull

cerebrovascular accident

damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted because a blood vessel is either blocked or has ruptured

ischemic stroke

occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked by the narrowing or blockage of a carotid artery

transient ischemic attack

temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain

aphasia

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