Medical Terminology Chapter 4

cerebell/o

cerebellum (little brain)

cerebr/o

cerebrum (largest part of the brain)

crani/o

skull

encephal/o

entire brain

esthesi/o

sensation

gangli/o

gallino (knot)

gli/o

glue

gnos/o

knowing

hypn/o

sleep

kinesi/o

movement

lex/o

word or phrase

mening/o, meningi/o

meninges (membrane)

myel/o

spinal cord or bone marrow

narc/o

stupor or sleep

neur/o

nerve

phas/o

speech

phob/o

exaggerated fear or sensitivity

phor/o

carry or bear

phren/o, psych/o

mind

schiz/o

split

somat/o

body

somn/i, somn/o

sleep

spin/o

spine (thorn)

spondyl/o, vertebr/o

vertebra

stere/o

three

tax/o

order or coordination

thalam/o

thalamus (a room)

thym/o

mind

ton/o

tone or tension

top/o

place

ventricul/o

ventricle (belly or pouch)

cata

down

asthenia

lepsy

mania

paresis

plegia

central nervous system

brain and spinal cord

brain

portion of the central nervous system contained within the cranium

cerebrum

largest portion of the brain; right and left halves called cerebral hemispheres; connected by a bridge of nerve fibers (corpus callosum)

frontal lobe

anterior section of each hemisphere of brain; responsible for voluntary muscle movement and personality

parietal lobe

posterior to the frontal lobe; responsible for sensations such as pain, temperature, and touch

temporal lobe

lies below the frontal lobe; hearing, taste and smell

occipital lobe

posterior to the parietal and temporal lobes; vision

cerebral cortex

outer layer of cerebrum; responsible for higher mental functions

thalamus

between cerebral hemispheres on either side of third ventricle; relays sensory information to the cortex

diencephalon

contains the thalamus and hypothalamus; link between cerebral hemispheres and brainstem; directs sensory information to the cortex

gyri

convolutions (mounds) of the cerebral hemispheres

sulci

shallow grooves that separate gyri

fissures

deep grooves in the brain

cerebellum

responsible for control and coordination of skeletal muscles; located between occipital lobes of cerebrum

brainstem

serves as a relay between the cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal cord; responsible for breathing, heart rate and body temperature; has three levels

ventricles

interconnected cavities in hemispheres filled with cerebrospinal fluid

cerebrospinal fluid

clear fluid circulating in and around the brain and spinal cord

spinal cord

column of nervous tissue responsible for nerve conduction to and from brain and the body

meninges

three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord consisting of dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid mater

peripheral nervous system

nerves that branch from the CNS including cranial and spinal nerves

cranial nerves

12 pairs of nerves arising from the brain

spinal nerves

31 pairs of nerves arising from the spinal cord

sensory nerves

conduct impulses from body parts and carry sensory information to the brain

motor nerves

conduct motor impulses from the brain to muscles and glands

autonomic nervous system

carry involuntary impulses to smooth muscle, cardiac muscle, adipose tissue, and various glands

hypothalamus

control center for the ANS located near pituitary gland

sympathetic nervous system

division of ANS concerned with preparing the body in stressful or emergency situations

parasympathetic nervous system

division of the ANS most active in ordinary conditions; counterbalances the effects of the sympathetic nervous system and restores it to a restful state

aphasia

impairment due to brain injury that affects understanding, retrieving, and formulation elements of language; inability to use or comprehend words

dysphasia

impairment in speech production and inability to arrange words in an understandable way

coma

levels of decreased consciousness with varying responsiveness

Glasgow coma scale

a neurological scale used to assess level of consciousness

delirium

mental confusion caused by disturbances in cerebral function including fever, shock and drug overdose

dementia

impairment of intellectual function characterized by memory loss, disorientation, and confusion

motor deficit

loss or impairment of muscle function

sensory deficit

loss or impairment of sensation

neuralgia

nerve pain

paralysis

temporary or permanent loss of motor control

flaccid paralysis

absent muscle control caused by nerve lesion

spastic paralysis

stiff and awkward muscle control caused by nervous system disorder

hemiparesis

partial paralysis of right or left side of the body

sciatica

pain that follows the pathway of sciatic nerve caused by compression or trauma of the nerve

seizure

disturbances in brain function resulting from abnormal firing of nerve impulses; sometimes associated with convulsion

convulsion

to pull together; type of seizure that causes sudden, involuntary, contraction of muscles

syncope

fainting

tactile stimulation

evoking a response by touching

hyperesthesia

increased sensitivity to stimulation such as touch or pain

paresthesia

abnormal sensation of numbness and tingling without objective cause

agnosia

loss of neurological function involving interpretation of sensory information

astereognosis

inability to judge form of the object by tough

atopognosis

inability to locate a sensation properly such as locating a point touched on the body

Alzheimer disease

progresses from forgetfulness and disorientation to loss of all intellectual function, total disability, and death; irreversible

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

progressive deterioration if motor nerve cells resulting in loss of voluntary muscle control; advances from muscle weakness in arms and legs, to muscles of speech, swallowing, and breathing to total paralysis and death

cerebral palsy

motor dysfunction caused by damage to cerebrum during development or injury at birth; partial paralysis and lack of muscle coordination

cerebrovascular disease

disorder resulting from a change within one or more blood vessels of the brain

cerebral arteriosclerosis

hardening of the arteries of the brain

cerebral arteriosclerosis

condition of fat buildup within the blood vessels of the brain

cerebral embolism

obstruction of blood vessel caused by embolus transported through circulation

cerebral thrombosis

presence of a stationary clot In a blood vessel of the brain

cerebrovascular accident or stroke

damage to the brain caused by disease such as occlusion of a blood vessel by a thrombus or embolus after aneurysm

transient ischemic attack

brief episode of loss of blood flow to the brain; caused by partial occlusion that results in temporary neurologic deficit

epilepsy

recurrent seizure disorder affecting the central nervous system