Nervous System Vocab

caus/o

burning, burn

cephal/o

head

cerebr/o

brain, cerebrum

concuss/o

shaken together violently

contus/o

bruised

crani/o

cranium, skull

encephal/o

brain

-esthesia

feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception

mening/o

meninges, membranes

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

neur/i, neur/o

nerves, nerve tissue

-phasia

speech, speak

radicul/o

root, root nerve

-tropic

having an affinity for

Alzheimer’s disease

a group of disorders involving the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language.

amnesia

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

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles.

anesthesiologist

a physician who specializes in administering anesthetic agents before and during surgery.

anesthetic

the medication used to induce anesthesia.

anesthetist

a medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia but is not a physician, for example, a nurse anesthetist.

Bell’s palsy

the temporary paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve that causes paralysis of the face, only on the affected side.

carotid ultrasonography

an ultrasound study of the carotid artery.

causlagia

persistent, severe burning pain that usually follows an injury to a sensory nerve.

central nervous system

is made up of the brain and spinal cord.

cerebral contusion

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

cerebral palsy

a group of disorders characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, speech defects, and other neurologic deficiencies due to damage that affects the cerebrum.

cerebrovascular accident

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

cerebrum

the largest and uppermost portion of the brain.

cervical radiculopathy

nerve pain caused by pressure on the spinal nerve roots in the neck region.

cognition

the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory.

coma

a profound (deep) state of unconsciousness marked by the absence of spontaneous eye movements, no response to painful stimuli, and the lack of speech.

concussion

a violent shaking up or jarring of the brain.

cranial hematoma

a collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain.

delirium

an acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, agitation, and hallucinations.

dementia

a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, and judgment, that is often accompanied by personality changes.

dura mater

the thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges. Dura means hard, and mater means mother.

dyslexia

a learning disability characterized by substandard reading achievement due to the inability of the brain to process symbols correctly.

electroencephalography

is the process of recording the electrical activity of the brain through the use of electrodes attached to the scalp.

encephalitis

an inflammation of the brain, can be caused by a viral infection such as rabies.

epidural anesthesia

regional anesthesia produced by injecting medication into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine.

epilepsy

a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures of varying severity.

ganglion

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

hallucination

a sensory perception experienced in the absence of external stimulation.

hemorrhagic stroke

also known as a bleed, occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks.

hydrocephalus

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

hyperesthesia

a condition of abnormal and excessive sensitivity to touch, pain, or other sensory stimuli.

ischemic stroke

the most common type of stroke in older people, occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked by the narrowing or blockage of an artery.

lethargy

a lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy.

meningitis

is an inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord.

meningocele

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

migraine headache

which may be preceded by a warning aura, is characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head.

multiple sclerosis

is a progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation that causes demyelination of the myelin sheath.

myelin sheath

the protective covering made up of glial cells.m

myelitis

an inflammation of the spinal cord;

myelography

a fluoroscopic and CT study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture.

neurologist

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

neurons

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

neurotransmitters

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

paresthesia

a burning or prickling sensation with no apparent physical cause that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet but can also occur in other parts of the body.

Parkinson’s disease

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

peripheral nervous system

includes the 12 pairs of cranial nerves extending from the brain and the 31 pairs of peripheral spinal nerves extending outward from the spinal cord.

peripheral neuropathy

a disorder of the peripheral nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord.

Reye’s syndrome

a serious and potentially deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion.

sciatica

inflammation of the sciatic nerve caused by pressure on the nerve roots that results in pain, burning, and tingling along the course of the affected nerve through the thigh, the leg, and sometimes into the foot.

seizure

a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects how a person feels or acts for a short time.

shaken baby syndrome

describes the results of a child being violently shaken by someone.

spinal column

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

syncope

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

tetanus

also known as lockjaw, is an acute and potentially fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria.

Tourette syndrome

a complex neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics, grunts, and compulsive utterances that sometimes include obscenities.

transient ischemic attack

sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke, is the temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain.

tremor

a repetitive, involuntary muscle movement usually involving the hands, arms, head, or face.

trigeminal neuralgia

a chronic pain condition characterized by severe, lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve.

unconscious

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