Chapter 10 The Nervous System

acrophobia

fear of heights

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

a rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles

anesthetic

drug that produces anesthesia

anesthetist

a medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia, but is not a physician

anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder in which an irrational fear of weight gain leads people to starve themselves

anxiety disorders

mental conditions characterized by excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations or fear that is out of proportion to the real danger in a situation

autism

A subgroup of autistic spectrum disorders. Children with autism have significant developmental delays, including speech and language, with most having very minimal verbal skills and lacking normal social relationships.

carotid ultrasonography

an ultrasound study of the carotid artery to detect plaque buildup in the artery to predict or diagnose an ischemic stroke

cerebrovascular accident

damage to the brain when normal blood flow is disrupted

Cervical radiculopathy

nerve pain caused by pressure on the spinal nerve roots in the neck region

claustrophobia

An abnormal fear of narrow, enclosed spaces

delirium

an acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, agitation, and hallucinations

delirium tremens

a disorder involving sudden and severe mental changes or seizures caused by abruptly stopping the use of alcohol

delusion

A false personal belief or opinion maintained even though there is proof to the contrary

dementia

a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, and judgment, that is often accompanied by personality changes

dura mater

thick, outermost layer of the meninges surrounding and protecting the brain and spinal cord

dyslexia

a learning disability characterized by substandard reading achievement due to the inability of the brain to process symbols

echoencephalography

the use of ultrasound imaging to create a detailed visual image of the brain for diagnostic purposes

electroencephalography

the process of recording the electrical activity of the brain through the use of electrodes attached to the scalp

encephalitis

inflammation of the brain

epidural anesthesia

regional anesthesia produced by injecting a local anesthetic into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine

Epilepsy

chronic brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizure activity

factitious disorder

Condition in which a person acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick.

Hallucinations

false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus

myelography

a radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture

Neurotransmitters

Chemicals that transmit information from one neuron to another

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)

panic attack

An unexpected, sudden experience of fear in the absence of danger, accompanied by physical symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain.

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience

Schizophrenia

a psychotic disorder characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations

syncope

fainting

trigeminal neuralgia

inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve characterized by sudden, intense, brief attacks of sharp pain on one side of the face

caus/o

burn, burning

cerebr/o

cerebrum, brain

concuss/o

shaken together, violently agitated

contus/o

bruise

encephal/o

brain

esthet/o

feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception

-esthesia

sensation, feeling

-graphy

process of recording

mening/o

meninges

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

neur/i, neur/o

nerve, nerve tissue

phobia

abnormal fear

psych/o

mind

radicul/o

root or nerve root

-tropic

having an affinity for

Alzheimer's disease

AD

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ALS

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

ADHD

cerebral palsy

CP

cerebrospinal fluid

CSF

electroencephalography

EEG

Intracranial pressure

ICP

levels of consciousness or loss of consciousness

LOC

lumbar puncture

LP

multiple sclerosis

MS

obsessive-compulsive disorder

OCD

post-traumatic stress disorder

PTSD

seizure

Sz

transient ischemic attack

TIA

Functional MRI (fMRI)

detects changes in blood flow in the brain when the patient is asked to perform a specific task

Electromyography (EMG)

measure the transfer of electrical signals in peripheral nerves to the muscles

lumbar puncture (LP)

CSF is withdrawn from between two lumbar vertebrae for analysis (known as spinal tap)

hypnotic

depresses the central nervous system and usually produces sleep

Barbiturates

drugs that depress the activity of the central nervous system

sedative

depresses the central nervous system to produce calm and diminished responsiveness without producing sleep

spinal anesthesia

regional anesthesia produced by injecting medication into the subarachnoid space

deep brain stimulation (DBS)

neurosurgical procedure used in the treatment of dystonia, tremors and Parkinson's disease, device implanted in the brain and connected to a stimulator to administer electrical shocks

gamma knife surgery

radiation treatment that uses gamma radiation to destroy diseased tissue while preserving the healthy tissue.

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

small amounts of electric current are passed through the brain, deliberately triggering a brief seizure in order to reverse symptoms of mental illness. also called electroshock therapy

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

chronic, excessive worrying

social anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder involving the extreme and irrational fear of being embarrassed, judged, or scrutinized by others in social situations

dissociative disorders

normal thought is separated from consciousness

dissociative identity disorder

disorder occurring when a person seems to have two or more distinct personalities within one body

impulse control disorders

a group of psychiatric disorders characterized by the inability to resist an impulse despite potential negative consequences

manic behavior

includes an abnormally elevated mood state, including inappropriate elation, increased irritability, severe insomnia, poor judgment, and inappropriate social behavior

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

low grade chronic depression with symptoms milder than those of severe depression but are present on a majority of days for 2 or more years

personality disorders

inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning

psychotic disorder

characterized by the loss of contact with reality and deterioration of normal social functioning

catatonic behavior

marked by a lack of responsiveness, stupor, and a tendency to remain in a fixed posture

somatic symptom disorder

Physical symptoms that seem to have no medical or mental disorder related to it

Excessive worrying about health

psychotropic drugs

Medications that control, or at least moderate, the manifestations of some mental disorders. acts on the central nervous system

antidepressant

drug that relieves or prevents symptoms of depression

anxiolytic drugs

antianxiety drugs or tanquilizers
temporarily relieve anxiety to reduce tension

mood stabilizing drugs

used to treat mood instability and bipolar disorders

stimulant

drug that is used forincreasing activity in certain area of the brain to increase concentration and wakefulness