BI 231 Pathophysiology Unit 3 – Vocabulary Flashcards

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and pathophysiologic concepts from BI 231 Unit 3 (Chapters 14–20), including pain physiology, neurologic disorders, endocrine alterations, and pediatric conditions.

Pain

A personal, unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.

Nociception

The process of detecting, transmitting, and processing pain signals.

Nociceptors

Specialized pain receptors in skin, muscles, joints, and viscera that respond to noxious stimuli.

Spinothalamic Tract

The principal ascending spinal cord pathway that carries pain and temperature information to the brain.

Acute Pain

Short-term, protective pain that resolves with healing.

Somatic Pain

Sharp, well-localized pain arising from skin, muscles, or joints.

Visceral Pain

Dull, aching, or cramping pain from internal organs that is often poorly localized.

Referred Pain

Pain perceived at a location different from its source (e.g., left-arm pain during MI).

Chronic Pain

Persistent pain lasting longer than 3 months, often without a clear cause.

Neuropathic Pain

Burning, tingling, or shooting pain caused by nerve damage or dysfunction (e.g., diabetic neuropathy).

Endorphins

The body’s endogenous opioids that inhibit pain perception.

Transduction

Conversion of a painful stimulus into an electrical impulse at the nociceptor.

Transmission

Movement of pain impulses via A-delta fibers (sharp) and C fibers (dull).

Perception (of pain)

Conscious awareness and interpretation of pain within the brain.

Modulation (of pain)

Amplification or inhibition of pain signals by endogenous or exogenous mechanisms (e.g., endorphins, opioids).

Consciousness

Awareness of self and the environment.

Arousal

The state of wakefulness controlled by the reticular activating system.

Awareness

The cognitive aspect of consciousness involving attention, memory, and reasoning.

Altered Level of Consciousness (ALOC)

Any deviation from full alertness, ranging from confusion to coma.

Cerebral Death (Irreversible Coma)

Permanent loss of cerebral function with preserved brain-stem activity.

Brain Death

Irreversible cessation of all brain activity, including the brainstem.

Memory Disorders

Impairments in forming, storing, or retrieving information (e.g., amnesia, dementia).

Agnosia

Inability to recognize objects, sounds, or smells despite intact sensory systems.

Dysphasia (Aphasia)

Impairment of language comprehension and/or production.

Acute Confusional State

Transient disorder of attention and perception; includes delirium.

Delirium

Acute, often reversible disturbance in awareness and cognition caused by illness, drugs, or metabolic imbalance.

Dementia

Progressive loss of cognition and executive function (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease).

Seizure

Sudden, transient, abnormal electrical activity in the brain producing motor, sensory, or cognitive signs.

Epilepsy

Disorder characterized by recurrent, unprovoked seizures.

Aura

A transient sensory or experiential warning that precedes some seizures.

Prodroma

Early, nonspecific symptoms that occur hours to days before a seizure.

Tonic Phase

Sustained muscle contraction with excessive tone during a seizure.

Clonic Phase

Alternating contraction and relaxation of muscles during a seizure.

Postictal State

Recovery period following a seizure, often marked by confusion or fatigue.

Intracranial Pressure (ICP)

Pressure within the skull; normally 5–15 mm Hg.

Increased ICP (IICP)

Pathologic elevation of intracranial pressure due to trauma, edema, tumor, etc.

Cerebral Edema

Swelling of brain tissue from fluid accumulation.

Hydrocephalus

Excess cerebrospinal fluid in the brain ventricles causing ventricular dilation.

Herniation Syndrome

Displacement of brain tissue due to dangerously high ICP (e.g., uncal herniation).

Cerebral Perfusion Pressure (CPP)

Pressure required to ensure blood flow to the brain; CPP = MAP − ICP.

Hypotonia

Decreased muscle tone.

Hypertonia

Increased muscle tone (spasticity, rigidity, dystonia).

Paresis

Partial loss of voluntary movement (muscle weakness).

Paralysis

Complete loss of voluntary motor function.

Hemiparesis / Hemiplegia

Weakness / paralysis of one side of the body.

Paraparesis / Paraplegia

Weakness / paralysis of the lower extremities.

Quadriparesis / Quadriplegia

Weakness / paralysis of all four limbs.

Hyperkinesia

Excessive, involuntary movements (e.g., chorea in Huntington disease).

Hypokinesia

Decreased amplitude of movement (e.g., Parkinson disease).

Dyskinesia

Abnormal, involuntary movements such as chorea, athetosis, or ballismus.

Bradykinesia

Slowness of voluntary movement common in Parkinson disease.

Akinesia

Absence or loss of voluntary movement.

Tremor

Rhythmic, involuntary oscillatory movement of a body part.

Full Consciousness

Alert and oriented to person, place, time, and situation.

Confusion

Impaired thought processing with disorientation and poor judgment.

Disorientation

Loss of awareness of time first, then place, and finally person.

Lethargy

Severe drowsiness; can be aroused by mild stimulation.

Obtundation

More severe reduction in alertness; needs repeated stimulation to remain awake.

Stupor

Deep unresponsiveness; only vigorous or painful stimuli elicit brief arousal.

Coma

Complete unresponsiveness with no purposeful response to stimuli.

Light Coma

Coma where reflex motor responses are still present.

Deep Coma

Coma with no motor or reflex activity.

Stage 1 IICP (Compensation)

Brain compensates by shifting CSF/venous blood; minimal symptoms.

Stage 2 IICP (Beginning Decompensation)

Autoregulation failing; subtle confusion and restlessness appear.

Stage 3 IICP (Decompensation)

Marked ICP rise causing decreased consciousness and Cushing triad.

Stage 4 IICP (Herniation)

Brain tissue shifts, compresses brainstem; pupils fixed/dilated, coma.

Vasogenic Edema

Cerebral edema from blood-brain barrier disruption and plasma leakage.

Cytotoxic Edema

Intracellular swelling from Na⁺/K⁺ pump failure and metabolic injury.

Interstitial (Hydrocephalic) Edema

Fluid movement from ventricles into brain tissue due to obstructed CSF flow.

Communicating Hydrocephalus

Adult hydrocephalus due to impaired CSF absorption with patent pathways.

Non-communicating Hydrocephalus

Pediatric hydrocephalus caused by ventricular obstruction blocking CSF flow.

Normal-Pressure Hydrocephalus

Elderly hydrocephalus with normal ICP but impaired CSF dynamics.

Huntington Disease

Autosomal-dominant degeneration of basal ganglia causing hyperkinesia and dementia.

Parkinson Disease

Neurodegenerative loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra causing tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons leading to muscle weakness and respiratory failure.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Brain damage resulting from external mechanical force.

Primary Brain Injury

Tissue damage occurring at the moment of trauma.

Secondary Brain Injury

Delayed neuronal injury from inflammation, ischemia, or edema following trauma.

Coup-Contrecoup Injury

Brain contusion at site of impact (coup) and opposite side (contrecoup).

Focal Brain Injury

Localized trauma such as contusion or hematoma.

Diffuse Brain Injury

Widespread microscopic damage (e.g., diffuse axonal injury).

Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI)

Shearing of axons from rotational forces; common cause of persistent coma.

Open (Penetrating) Brain Injury

Skull fracture with dural breach (e.g., gunshot wound).

Closed (Blunt) Brain Injury

Skull intact; brain injured by acceleration-deceleration forces.

Contusion (Brain)

Bruising of brain tissue with capillary damage and edema.

Concussion

Transient neurological dysfunction from head impact; may cause confusion or amnesia.

Mild Concussion (Grade I–III)

Concussion without loss of consciousness, brief confusion or amnesia.

Classic Concussion (Grade IV)

Loss of consciousness <6 h with retrograde/anterograde amnesia.

Epidural Hematoma

Arterial bleeding between skull and dura mater; lucid interval typical.

Subdural Hematoma

Venous bleeding between dura and arachnoid; slower onset of symptoms.

Intracerebral Hematoma

Bleeding within brain parenchyma causing focal deficits and increased ICP.

Cerebrovascular Accident (Stroke)

Ischemic or hemorrhagic brain injury from vascular disruption.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)

Brief neurologic deficit from focal ischemia without permanent damage.

Intracranial Aneurysm

Weakness in cerebral artery wall that may rupture causing SAH or hemorrhagic stroke.

Bacterial Meningitis

Severe meningeal inflammation from bacteria like N. meningitidis or S. pneumoniae.

Viral Meningitis

Self-limited meningeal infection commonly from enteroviruses; milder course.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of brain parenchyma, often viral (HSV-1, arboviruses).

Brain Abscess

Localized intracerebral pus collection from bacterial spread.

Spinal Epidural Abscess

Pus accumulation in epidural space causing spinal cord compression.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Autoimmune demyelination in CNS producing relapsing or progressive neurologic deficits.