2B Vocabulary

CVA, ABI, SCI, + Neurodegenerative Conditions (Terms from Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction 8th. ed.)

Acalculia/Dyscalculia

The inability or impaired ability to perform simple mathematical calculations previously mastered.

Agnosia

The inability to recognize objects, persons, smells, or sounds despite having normal sensory functions (i.e., vision, hearing).

Agraphia/Dysgraphia

The inability or impaired ability to produce written language.

Alexia/Dyslexia

The inability or impaired ability to read written language despite preservation of other aspects of language.

Aneurysm

A weakness of an artery wall, resulting in a bulge or distension of the artery.

Anomia

The inability to name objects or persons.

Anosognosia

An unawareness or denial of a neurological deficit that is clinically evident.

Aphasia

An acquired multimodality language disorder that results from damage to the language centers of the brain.

Apraxia

The inability to perform purposeful actions despite having normal muscle function.

Arteriovenous Malformation

A tangle of abnormal blood vessels connecting arteries and veins without an intervening capillary bed.

Contracture

An abnormal shortening of muscle tissues, rendering the muscle highly resistant to passive stretching; typically results in permanent restrictions in joint motions.

Contralateral Homonymous Hemianopia

An ocular condition in which vision has been lost in the same halves of both eyes.

Dysarthria

A speech disorder resulting from paralysis, weakness, or incoordination of the muscles involved in speech production.

Dysphagia

An eating disorder involving difficulty manipulating and transporting solids/liquids from the oral cavity to the pharynx.

Hemianesthesia

A loss of sensation in either half of the body.

Spasticity

A velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes; also denotes a form of muscular hypertonicity with exaggeration of tendon reflexes.

Subluxation

An incomplete or partial dislocation of a joint.

Acquired Brain Injury (ABI)

Head injury that can include traumatic and nontraumatic injuries caused by cardiovascular defects, tumors, substance abuse, environmental exposure, anoxia, bacteria, viruses, nutritional deficiencies, genetic, congenital, and degenerative diseases.

Agitation

Excessive behavior including varied degrees of aggression, disinhibition, restlessness, and confusion. Person may present in an altered state of consciousness.

Concussion

A type of TBI usually caused by a blow to the head, usually reported in sports activities including direct blow, bump, or jolt to the head; effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems associated with concentration, memory, balance, and coordination.

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

Extensive lesions in white matter tracts over a widespread area following traumatic acceleration/deceleration or rotational injuries; DAI often results in loss of consciousness and could result in persistent vegetative state after severe head trauma.

Disorder of Consciousness (DOC)

A state of reduced wakefulness and awareness due to brain damage.

Mild Brain Injury

A traumatically induced physiological disruption of brain function, as manifested by at least one of the following: (1) any period of loss of consciousness; (2) any loss of memory for events immediately before or after the accident; (3) any alteration in mental state at the time of the accident (i.e., feeling dazed, disoriented, or confused); or (4) focal neurological deficit(s) that may or may not be transient; but where the severity of the injury does not exceed the following: loss of consciousness of approximately 30 minutes or less; after 30 minutes an initial GCS of 13-15; and post-traumatic amnesia not greater than 24 hours.

Moderate Brain Injury

A brain injury resulting in a loss of consciousness from 20 min to 6 hours and a GCS of 9-12; moderate TBI is characterized by loss of consciousness for 1-24 hours; PTA for 1-24 hours of the TBI, and abnormal brain imaging results.

Severe Brain Injury

A brain injury that results in loss of consciousness or coma for more than 24 hours, PTA for more than 24 hours of TBI, and abnormal brain imaging results.

Spasticity

A continuous state of muscular contraction that if left untreated can limit muscle and joint motion.

TBI

A form of ABI following an external trauma to the head; a TBI occurs when the head suddenly and violently hits an object; or when an object pierces the skill and enters the brain tissue.

Akinesia

Initiation impairment of voluntary and spontaneous motor responses that interrupts performance to engage in voluntary activity.B

Bradykinesia

Slowness or poverty of movement such as lack of facial expression or “mask face” and reduced eye blink, arm swing during walking, and decreased postural stability.

Cogwheel Rigidity

Series of catches through PROM much like a second-hand jerks on a clock face.

Demyelination

A process by which myelin, the covering on nerves that enable conduction speed, is lost or damaged and result sin an absence or impairment of impulse conduction typically manifesting in functional limitations.

Festinating Gait

Small rapid steps when the posture of the head and trunk involuntarily lean forward ahead of the feet. One’s COG shifts forward and is compensated by small shuffling steps and increased gait resulting in “chase” the COG.

Intention Tremor

An oscillating tremor that occurs during visually guided, goal-directed movements. Amplitude increases as the target is approached and when increased precision is demanded.

Lower Motor Neurons (LMN)

Neurons located in the brainstem and CNs that allow voluntary muscle movement and link to UMN and muscles; damage to LMN can lead to flaccidity, muscle atrophy, loss of swallowing, and vocalization ability.

Rigidity

Hypertonicity of agonist and antagonist muscles that offers a consistent, unifrom resistance to passive movement.

Upper Motor Neuron (UMN)

Neurons located in the brain that function to transmit motor signals to the spinal cord activating LMN to activate muscles; damage to the UMN can result in weakness and paralysis, decreased motor control, and spasticity.

Clonus

An alternating involuntary muscles contraction and relaxation in rapid succession, associated with changes in muscle tone as a consequence of neurological injury or disease.

Complete Injury

A diagnostic label that represents an absence of sensory and motor function in the lowest sacral segments (S4-S5).

Crede Method

A manual bladder-emptying technique that involves manual application of pressure superficial to the bladder.

Dermatome

The area of skin innervated by the sensory axons within each segmental nerve. A myotome is a group of muscles innervated by a single spinal nerve; myotomes are used in the diagnostic process of identifying the level of SCI.

Ergometry

The study of physical work activity. In rehabilitation, it often involves the use of a stationary bicycle or treadmill.

Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES)

Involves the application of electric current to paralyzed muscles in order to cause a muscle contraction.

Functional Level

The lowest segment at which the strength of important muscles is graded 3+ or above out of 5 on a MMT, and at which sensation is intact; the functional level has implications to functional rehabilitation outcomes.

Incomplete Injury

A diagnostic label that represents the preservation of any sensory and/or motor function below the neurological level that includes the lowest sacral segments S4-S5.

Motor Level

A diagnostic label that quantifies functional outcome expectations; the motor level is identified by the most caudal section of the spinal cord with normal motor function.

Paraplegia

The loss or impairment in motor and/or sensory function in the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral segments of the cord, resulting in impairment in the trunk, legs, and pelvic organs and sparing of the arms.

Sensory Level

Identified by the most caudal segment of the spinal cord possessing normal sensation to pinprick and light touch; it has implications for functional outcomes.

Tetraplegia

The loss or impairment in motor and/or sensory function in the cervical segments of the spinal cord, resulting in functional impairments in the arms, trunk, legs, and pelvic organs; previously known as quadriplegia.

Tracheostomy

A surgically created hole in the trachea through which the tracheostomy tube is inserted; the tracheostomy provides the connection to the ventilator for individuals who cannot breathe spontaneously.

Valsalva Maneuver

Method to facilitate a bowel movement; it involves holding one’s breath while bearing down or pushing through the abdomen.

Zone of Partial Preservation

Refers to the dermatomes and myotomes caudal to the neurological level that remain partially innervated; over time, strength and sensation improve, resulting in better functional outcomes.