nervous system med term

brain

contained within the cranium, the center for coordinating body activities and comprises the cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem

cerebrum

largest portion of the brain, divided into left and right hemispheres. the cerebrum controls the skeletal muscles, interprets senses (such as temperature, pain, and touch), and contains centers for sight and hearing. intellect, memory, and emotional reactions also take place in the cerebrum

gray matter

outer portion of the cerebrum, contains neuron cell bodies that collect and process information. gray matter forms the inner portion of the spinal cord

white matter

inner portion of the cerebrum, contains axons, long cords that extend from neurons; conveys information to different parts of the brain. white matter forms the outer portion of the spinal cord

ventricles

cavities within the brain that contain cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). the CSF flows through the subarachnoid space around the brain and spinal cord

cerebellum

located under the posterior portion of the cerebrum; assists in the coordination of skeletal muscles to maintain balance (also called hindbrain)

brainstem

stemlike portion of the brain that connects with the spinal cord; contains centers that control respiration and heart rate. three structures comprise the brainstem: the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata

pons

literally means bridge. it connects the cerebrum with the cerebellum and brain stem

medulla oblongata

located between the pons and spinal cord. it contains centers that control respiration, heart rate, and the muscles in the blood vessel walls, which determine blood pressure

midbrain

most superior portion of the brainstem

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

clear, colorless fluid contained in the ventricles that flows through the subarachnoid space around the brain and spinal cord. it cushions the brain and spinal cord from shock, transports nutrients, and clears metabolic waste

spinal cord

passes through the vertebral canal extending from the medulla oblongata to the level of the second lumbar vertebra. the spinal cord conducts nerve impulses to and from the brain and initiates reflex action to sensory information without input from the brain

meninges

three layers of membrane that cover the brain and spinal cord

dura mater

tough outer layer of the meninges

arachnoid

delicate middle layer of the meninges. the arachnoid membrane is loosely attached to the pia mater by weblike fibers which allow for the subarachnoid space

pia mater

thin inner layer of the meninges

nerve

cordlike structure made up of fibers that carries impulses from one part of the body to another. there are 12 pairs of cranial nerves and 31 pairs of spinal nerves

ganglion

group of nerve cell bodies located outside the central nervous system

glia

specialized cells located throughout the nervous system that support and nourish nervous tissue. some cells assist in the secretion of CSF and others assist with phagocytosis. they do not conduct impulses (also called neuroglia)

neuron

nerve cells that conducts impulses to carry out the function of the nervous system. Destroyed neurons in the central nervous system cannot be replaced.

cerebell/o

cerebellum

cerebr/o

cerebrum, brain

dur/o

hard, dura mater

encephal/o

brain

gangli/o; ganglion/o

ganglion

gli/o

glia

mening/o; meningi/o

meninges

myel/o

spinal cord

neur/o

nerve

poli/o

gray matter

radicul/o’; rhiz/o

nerve root (proximal end of a peripheral nerve, closest to spinal cord)

angi/o

vessel, blood vessel

blast/o

developing cell, germ cell

cephal/o

head

crani/o

cranium (skull)

embol/o

plug

esthesi/o

sensation, sensitivity, feeling

hem/o; hemat/o

blood

ment/o; psych/o

mind

mon/o

one, single

phas/o

speech

quadr/i

four

thromb/o

blood clot

inter-

between

intra-

within

para-

beside, beyond, around, abnormal

-algia

pain

-cele

hernia, protrustion

-genic

producing, originating, causing

-ictal

seizure, attack

-ism

state of

-osis

abnormal condition

-paresis

slight paralysis

-plegia

paralysis

-rrhage

excessive flow

-rrhaphy

suturing, repairing

cerebellitis

inflammation of the cerebellum

cerebral embolism

pertaining to the cerebrum, state of plug (clot of piece of plaque from a distant site lodged in a cerebral artery, causing sudden blockage of a blood vessel in the brain)

duritis

inflammation of the dura mater

encephalitis

inflammation of the brain

encephalomalacia

softening of the brain

encephalopathy

disease of the brain

encephalomyeloradiculitis

inflammation of the brain, spinal cord, and nerve roots

gangliitis

inflammation of a ganglion

glioblastoma

tumor composed of developing glia (the most malignant primary tumor of the brain)

glioma

tumor composed of glia

hydrocephalus

water (increased amount of CSF) in the head (brain)

intracerebral hemorrhage

pertaining to within the brain, excessive flow of blood (bleeding into the brain as a result of a ruptured blood vessel within the brain)

meningioma

tumor of the meninges (usually benign and slow growing, most common tumor originating in the brain and surrounding tissues)

meningitis

inflammation of the meninges

meningocele

protrusion of the meninges (through a defect in the skull or vertebral arch)

meningomyelocele

protrusion of the meninges and spinal cord (through a neural arch defect in the vertebral column) (also called myelomeningocele)

mononeuropathy

disease affecting one nerve (such as carpal tunnel syndrome)

myelitis

inflammation of the spinal cord

myelomalacia

softening of the spinal cord

neuralgia

nerve pain

neuritis

inflammation of a nerve

poliomyelitis

inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord (this infectious disease, commonly referred to as polio, is caused by one of three polio viruses)

polyneuritis

inflammation of many nerve

radiculitis

inflammation of the nerve roots

radiculopathy

disease of the nerve roots

rhizomeningomyelitis

inflammation of the nerve root, meninges, and spinal cord

subdural hematoma

pertaining to below the dura mater, tumor of blood (collection of blood that has leaked out of a broken vessel)

alzheimers disease (AD)

type of dementia that occurs more frequently after the age of 65, but can begin at any age. the brain shrinks dramatically as nerve cells die and tissues atrophy. the disease is slowly progressive and usually results in profound dementia in 5 to 10 years. a prominent feature of AD is the inability to remember recent past, while memories of the distant past remain intact

amytophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

progressive muscle atrophy caused by degeneration and scarring of neurons along the lateral columns of the spinal cord that control muscles (also called Lou Gehrig disease)

bell palsy

paralysis of muscles on one side of the face caused by inflammation or compression of the facial nerve, cranial nerve VII. signs include a sagging mouth on the affected side and non closure of the eyelid; paralysis is usually temporary

botulism

serious illness caused by bacterial toxin that interferes with nerve conduction, causing skeletal muscles paralysis. initial symptoms may include trouble seeing and muscle weakness leading to difficulty swallowing and breathing. foodborne botulism, wound botulism, and infant botulism are types of the illness, all of which can be fatal and are medical emergencies

cerebral aneurysm

ballooning of a weakened portion of an arterial wall (aneurysm) in the cerebrum. it is usually asymptomatic until it ruptures, which can be very serious and can result in death

cerebral palsy (CP)

condition characterized by lack of muscle control and partial paralysis, caused by a brain defect or lesion present in birth or shortly after

chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

progressive degenerative disease of the brain which generally appears years or decades after repeated head trauma. originally diagnosed in boxers (dementia puglilistica), it is not been found in other professional athletes who experienced repeated head trauma, such as football, ice hockey, soccer, wrestling, and basketball players. signs and symptoms include memory loss, aggression, confusion, attention deficits, poor judgement, anxiety, and depression. currently CTE can only be definitively diagnosed after death by brain autopsy, but in the future, diagnostic imaging, chemical biomarkers, and neuropsychological tests may be helpful

dementia

cognitive impairment characterized by loss of intellectual brain function. patients have difficulty in various ways, including difficulty in performing complex tasks, reasoning, learning and retaining new information, orientation, word finishing, and behavior. dementia has several causes and its not considered part of normal aging

epilepsy

condition characterized by recurrent seizures; a general term given to a group of neurological disorders, all characterized by abnormal activity in the brain

multiple sclerosis (MD)

chronic degenerative disease characterized by sclerotic patches along the brain and spinal cord; signs and symptoms fluctuate over the course of the disease; more common symptoms include fatigue, balance and coordination impairments, numbness, and vision problems

parkinson disease (PD)

chronic degenerative disease of the CNS. signs and symptoms include resting tremors of the hand and feet, rigidity, expressionless face, shuffling gait, and eventually dementia. it usually occurs after the age of 50 years (also called parkinsonism)

sciatica

inflammation of the sciatic nerve, causing pain that travels from the thigh through the leg to the foot and toes; can be caused by injury, infection, arthritis, herniated disk, or from prolonged pressure on the nerve from sitting for long periods

shingles

viral disease that affects the peripheral nerves and causes blisters on the skin that follow the course of the affected nerve (also called herpes zoster)

stroke

interruption of blood supply to a region of the brain, depriving nerve cells in the affected area of oxygen and nutrients. the cells cannot perform and may be damaged or die within minutes. the parts of the body controlled by the involved cells will experience dysfunction. speech, movement, memory, and other CNS functions may be affected in varying diseases. ischemic stroke is a result of a blocked blood vessel. hemorrhagic stroke is a result of bleeding (also called cerebrovascular accident [CVA] or brain attack)

subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)

bleeding between the pia mater and arachnoid layers of the meninges (subarachnoid space), caused by a ruptures blood vessel (usually a cerebral aneurysm). the patient may experience an intense, sudden headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and neck pain. SAH is a critical condition which must be recognized and treated immediately to prevent permanent brain damage or death (a cause of hemorrhagic stroke)

transient ischemic attack (TIA)

sudden deficient supply of blood to the brain lasting a short time. the symptoms may be similar to those of a stroke, but with TIA the symptoms are temporary and the usual outcome is complete recovery. TIAs are often warning signs for eventual occurrence of a stroke

ganglionectomy

excision of a ganglion (also called gangliectomy)