Chapter Five: The Nervous System—Neurology and Psychiatry

cerebr/o, encephal/o

brain

cerebell/o

cerebellum

lob/o

lobe

cephal/o

head

crani/o

head or skull

mening/o, meningi/o

meninges (membranes covering brain and spinal cord)

dur/o

tough outer membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord

neur/o

nerve

gangli/o

nerve bundle

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

somn/o, somn/i, hypn/o

to sleep

gnosi/o

knowledge

esthesi/o

feeling, sensation

phas/o

speech

phren/o, psych/o

mind

-mania

excessive desire

-phobia

abnormal fear

-paresis

slight or partial paralysis

-asthenia

weakness

-plegia

paralysis

tax/o

arrangement, order, coordination

ton/o

muscle ton, tension

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

an accident involving the blood vessels of the brain

echoencepholography

procedure used to examine the brain using sound waves

electroencephalography (EEG)

procedure used to examine the electrical activity in the brain

encephalography

procedure for studying the brain

lumbar puncture (LP) (‘spinal tap’)

inserting a needle into the lumbar region of the spin in order to collect spinal fluid

magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)

procedure used to examine blood vessels

myelogram

image of the spinal cord, usually using x-ray

positron emission tomography (PET) scan

an imaging procedure that uses radiation (positrons) to produce cross sections of the brain

transcranial Doppler sonography

an imaging technique that produces an image of the brain using sound waves sent through the skull

cerebellitis

inflammation of the cerebellum

cerebral atrophy

wasting away of brain tissue

duritis

inflammation of the dura

encephalocele

hernia of the brain (normally through a defect in the skull)

hematoma

a tumor-like mass made up of blood

cranial hematoma

a hematoma beneath the skull

epidural hematoma

a hematoma located on top of the dura

intracerebral hematoma

a hematoma located inside the brain

subdural hematoma

a hematoma located under the dura

macrocephaly

abnormally large head

microcephaly

abnormally small head

meningocele

a hernia of the meninges

myelocele

a hernia of the spinal cord

myelomalacia

abnormal softening of the spinal cord

myelomeningocele

a hernia of the spinal cord and the meninges

neuritis

nerve inflammation

neuroma

a nerve tumor

neurosclerosis

hardening of the nerves

polyneuritis

inflammation of multiple nerves

agnosia

inability to comprhend

apathy

lack of emotion

atopognosis

inability to locate a sensation

hyperkinesia

increase in muscle movement or activity

neuroglycopenia

deficiency of sugar that interferes with normal brain activity

nystagmus

involuntary back and forth eye movements

prosopagnosia

inability to recognize faces

anesthesiologist

doctor who specializes in anesthesiology

afferent nerve

a nerve that carries impulses towards the central nervous system

efferent nerve

a nerve that carries impulses away from the central nervous system

neurogenic

originating from/ created by nerves

psychogenic

originating in/ created by the mind

psychiatrist/psychologist

a doctor who specializes in the study of the mind

psychiatry/psychology

branch of medicine that focuses on the treatment of the mind

psychosomatic

pertaining to the relationship between the body and the mind

idiopathic

having no known cause or origin

interictal

time between seizures

postictal

time after a seizure

tonic

pertaining to muscle tone (normally weak or unresponsive)

clonus

muscle spasm or twitching

tonic-clonic seizure

a seizure characterized by both a tonic and a clonic phase

hemorrhagic stroke

a stroke where the blood lose is caused by the rupture of a blood vessel

ischemic stroke

a stroke where the blood loss is caused by a blockage

stroke

loss of brain function caused by interpretation of blood flow/supply to the brain

aphasia

inability to speak

ataxia

lack of coordination

dyslexia

difficulty reading

dysphasia

difficulty speaking

myoclonus

muscle twitching

myospasm

involuntary muscle contraction

neurasthenia

nerve weakness

cephalalgia

head pain

encephalalgia

brain pain

neuralgia

nerve pain

neurodynia

nerve pain

hemiparesis

partial paralysis on half the body

monoparesis

partial paralysis of one limb

anosmia

lack of a sense of smell

causalgia

painful sensation of burning

pseudesthesia

false sensation

agoraphobia

fear of outdoor spaces

hydrophobia

fear of water

pyromania

desire to set fire

kleptomania

desire to steal

photophobia

excessive sensitivity to light

acrophobia

fear of heights

synesthesia

condition where one sensation is experienced as another

hyperesthesia

increased sensation

paresthesia

abnormal sensation (usually numbers or tingling in the skin)