HCA100 - Ch. 14 - Neurology

alges/o

sense of pain

cerebell/o

cerebellum

cerebr/o

cerebrum

encephal/o

brain

esthesi/o

sensation

medull/o

medulla oblongata

mening/o

meninges

myel/o

spinal cord

neur/o

nerve

pont/o

pons

radicul/o

nerve root

thalam/o

thalamus

angi/o

vessel

cephal/o

head

electr/o

electricity

hemat/o

blood

hydr/o

water

lumb/o

low back

my/o

muscle

scler/o

hardening

spin/o

spine

tom/o

to cut

vascul/o

blood vessel

Alzheimer’s disease (AD)

Chronic brain condition involving progressive disorientation, speech and gait disturbances, and loss of memory

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Disease with muscular weakness and atrophy due to degeneration of motor neurons of spinal cord; commonly called Lou Gehrig’s disease

analgesic

Drug to treat minor to moderate pain without loss of consciousness

anesthetic

Drug that produces loss of sensation or loss of consciousness

anticonvulsant

Medication to reduce excitability of neurons and to prevent uncontrolled neuron activity associated with seizures

Bell’s palsy

One-sided facial muscle weakness or paralysis; usually is temporary

brain tumor

Intracranial mass, either benign or malignant; benign tumor of brain can still be fatal because it will grow and cause pressure on normal brain tissue

cerebral angiography

Diagnostic X-ray of blood vessels of brain after injection of radiopaque dye

cerebral contusion

Bruising of brain from impact; symptoms last longer than 24 hours and may include vomiting, dizziness, unconsciousness, unequal pupil size, or shock

cerebral palsy (CP)

Nonprogressive brain damage resulting from defect in fetal development or trauma or oxygen deprivation during or shortly after birth; symptoms may be mild or severe and may include a variety of muscle power and coordination problems ranging from paralysis to uncontrolled spasms, depending on the location of the damage

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis

Laboratory examination of clear, watery, colorless fluid from within brain and spinal cord; detects infections or bleeding of brain

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Development of brain infarct due to loss in blood supply to brain; can be caused by ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhage), floating clot (embolus), stationary clot (thrombosis), or compression; extent of damage depends on size and location of infarct and can include dysphasia and hemiplegia; commonly called stroke

chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

Condition characterized by severe blow or repeated less severe blows to the head resulting in progressive degeneration of brain tissue; has been identified in athletes in contact sports

coma

Profound unconsciousness or stupor resulting from illness or injury

computed tomography (CT scan)

Diagnostic imaging technique that produces a cross-sectional view of body; X-rays taken from multiple angles are compiled by a computer to construct a composite cross-sectional view of the body

concussion

Injury to brain when brain is shaken inside skull because of impact; symptoms are usually temporary and may include headache, dizziness, nausea or vomiting, unequal pupil size, blurred vision, balance problems, and shock

convulsion

Severe, involuntary, alternating muscle contractions and relaxations; has a variety of causes, such as epilepsy, fever, and toxic conditions

delirium

Abnormal mental state characterized by confusion, disorientation, and agitation

dementia

Progressive impairment of intellectual function that interferes with performing activities of daily living (ADLs); patients have little awareness of their condition; found in disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease

epilepsy

Recurrent disorder of brain; seizures and loss of consciousness occur as result of uncontrolled neuron electrical activity

Guillain-Barré syndrome

Condition in which some nerves lose their myelin insulation; symptoms include loss of sensation and/or muscle control, starting in the legs; symptoms then move toward trunk and may even result in paralysis of the diaphragm

hydrocephalus

Buildup of cerebrospinal fluid within brain; if congenital, causes head to enlarge; treated by creating shunt from brain to abdomen to drain excess fluid

lumbar puncture (LP)

Puncture with needle into lumbar vertebral area (usually space between fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae) to withdraw fluid for examination or for injection of medication; also called spinal puncture or spinal tap

migraine

Specific type of headache characterized by severe head pain, sensitivity to light, dizziness, and nausea

multiple sclerosis (MS)

Inflammatory autoimmune disease of central nervous system; immune system damages myelin around neurons, leaving areas of hardened tissue called plaques; results in vision problems, pain, weakness, and abnormal sensations; symptoms typically go through alternating periods of improvement and worsening

myasthenia gravis

Autoimmune disease with severe muscular weakness and fatigue due to difficulty of electrical impulse passing across synapse from one nerve to the next

narcotic analgesic

Drug to treat severe pain; has potential to be habit-forming; also called opiate

nerve conduction velocity (NCV)

Diagnostic test to determine if nerves are damaged by recording rate at which an electrical impulse travels along a nerve; if nerve is damaged, velocity is decreased; also called nerve conduction study

paralysis

Temporary or permanent loss of muscle function and movement

Parkinson’s disease

Chronic disorder of the nervous system with fine tremors, muscular weakness, rigidity, and shuffling gait

positron emission tomography (PET)

Diagnostic imaging technique that uses positive radionuclides to reconstruct brain sections; measurement of oxygen and glucose uptake, cerebral blood flow, and blood volume can be taken; amount of glucose brain uses indicates its metabolic activity

seizure

Sudden, uncontrollable onset of symptoms, such as in epileptic seizure; absence seizure (petit mal seizure) appears as loss of awareness and absence of activity; tonic-clonic seizure (grand mal seizure) is characterized by muscle convulsions

shingles

Appearance of painful blisters on body along a nerve path; caused by varicella zoster virus (VZV); virus initially enters body during chickenpox infection but becomes dormant in nerve cells; reactivation of virus later in life results in shingles

spina bifida

Congenital defect in walls of spinal canal in which two sides of vertebra do not meet or close; can result in meningocele or myelomeningocele

spinal cord injury (SCI)

Damage to spinal cord as result of trauma; spinal cord can be bruised or completely severed

subdural hematoma

Mass of blood forming underneath dura mater when meninges are torn by trauma; can exert fatal pressure on brain if hematoma is not drained by surgery

syncope

Fainting

traumatic brain injury (TBI)

Damage to brain resulting from impact (such as a car accident), blast waves (such as an explosion), or penetrating projectile (such as a bullet); symptoms may be mild, moderate, or severe and may include loss of consciousness, coma, headache, vomiting, loss of motor coordination, and dizziness

transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Temporary reduction of blood supply to brain; causes temporary symptoms such as syncope, numbness, and hemiplegia; can eventually lead to cerebrovascular accident

AD

Alzheimer’s disease

ADLs

activities of daily living

ALS

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ANS

autonomic nervous system

CNS

central nervous system

CP

cerebral palsy

CSF

cerebrospinal fluid

CTE

chronic traumatic encephalopathy

CT scan

computed tomography scan

CVA

cerebrovascular accident

CVD

cerebrovascular disease

EEG

electroencephalogram, electroencephalography

HA

headache

ICP

intracranial pressure

LP

lumbar puncture

MS

multiple sclerosis

NCS

nerve conduction study

NCV

nerve conduction velocity

PET

positron emission tomography

PNS

peripheral nervous system

SCI

spinal cord injury

TBI

traumatic brain injury

TIA

transient ischemic attack

VZV

varicella zoster virus