Nervous System - Terms

Akinesia

Loss of or lack of voluntary motion.

Amnesia

Condition in which there is a loss or lack of memory.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Muscular weakness and atrophy, with spasticity due to degeneration of the motor neurons of the spinal cord. Also called Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Analgesia

A lack of the sensation of pain.

Anesthesia

A temporary condition, induced by medications, with a lack of feeling, pain, and responsiveness.

Anesthesiologist

A physician that specializes in the study of anesthesia.

Aphagia

Lack of the ability to swallow

Aphasia

Lack of the ability to speak due to a brain lesion or injury.

Apraxia

Lack of the ability to use objects properly or to recognize common objects.

Asthenia

Lack of strength.

Bradykinesia

Abnormal slowness of movement.

Cerebellar

Pertaining to the cerebellum.

Cerebral Palsy

Medical disorder where damage to the motor control centers of the brain causes motor dysfunction.

Chorea

Abnormal involuntary movement causing rapid, jerking movements of the face or extremities.

Coma

Unconscious state from which the patient cannot be aroused.

Concussion

Head injury with a temporary loss of brain function.

Craniectomy

Surgical excision of a portion of the skull.

Craniotomy

Surgical incision into the skull.

Discectomy

Surgical excision of an intervertebral disk.

Dyslexia

Difficulty reading and writing words.

Dysphasia

Lack of the ability to speak due to a brain lesion or injury.

Encephalitis

Inflammation of the brain.

Encephalopathy

Pathological dysfunction of the brain.

Epidural

Injection of medication into the space above the dura mater as a means of pain control.

Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Self-limiting condition where the myelin sheaths covering the peripheral nerves are destroyed, resulting in muscle weakness starting in the periphery and moving proximally.

Hemiparesis

Weakness on one side of the body.

Hemiplegia

Paralysis of one half of the body

Herniated Disc Syndrome

Compression of the spinal nerve by herniation of the central portion of an intervertebral disk.

Hydrocephalus

Literally water in the head, condition where there is an increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid.

Hyperalgesia

Extreme sensitivity to painful stimuli.

Hyperkinesis

Increased muscle movement.

Intracranial

Pertaining to within the skull.

Laminectomy

Surgical excision of the posterior arch of a vertebra.

Lobotomy

Surgical incision into the frontal lobe of the cerebellum.

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges of the spinal cord or brain.

Meningocele

Congenital hernia or saclike protrusion of the meninges through a defect in the spine or skull.

Myelitis

Inflammation of the spinal cord.

Narcolepsy

Sleep disorder where recurrent episodes of uncontrollable drowsiness or sleep occur during the day.

Neuralgia

Pain in a nerve or nerves.

Neuritis

Inflammation of a nerve.

Neuropathy

Any disorder affecting the nervous system.

Neurotransmitter

Chemical substance that carries nerve impulses between nerve cells.

Palsy or paralysis

Loss of power of voluntary movements and/or sensation in a muscle due to injury or disease of the nerve supply.

Papilledema

Swelling of the optic disk in the eye, caused by increased pressure within the cranium.

Paraplegia

Paralysis of the lower extremities.

Paresis

Slight, partial, or incomplete paralysis.

Paresthesia

Abnormal sensation, numbness, or tingling.

Polyneuritis

Inflammation of many nerves.

Quadriplegia

Paralysis of all four extremities due to injury to the spinal cord.

Sciatica

Severe pain along the course of the sciatic nerve.

Spondylosyndesis

Surgical procedure to fuse vertebrae after removal of the intervertebral disk.

Subdural

Pertaining to below the dura mater, one of the meninges that cover the brain.

Syncope

Temporary loss of consciousness, also known as fainting.

Tactile

Pertaining to the sense of touch.