med term ch 5

Nerves

wires that connect the sensory organs to the brain

Neurology

the branch of medicine that deals with the nerves and organs of the nervous system

Sensory system (eyes, ears, nose, skin)

detects information from the outside environment and sends it to the brain via nerves

Central nervous system

Brain and spinal cord

peripheral nervous system

Made up of the nerves that send information to and from the central nervous system

cerebr/o, encephal/o

brain

lob/o

lobe

cerebell/o

cerebellum

cephal/o

head

crani/o

head, skull

myel/o

spinal cord

neur/o

nerve

gangli/o

nerve bundle

phren/o, psych/o

mind

esthesi/o

feeling or sensation

somn/o, somni/o, hypn/o

sleep

gnosi/o

knowledge

-phobia

excessive fear or sensitivity

-mania

excessive desire

ton/o

muscle tone, tension, pressure

Tax/o

arrangement, order, coordination

phas/o

speech

-paresis

slight or partial paralysis

-plegia

paralysis

-asthenia

weakness

cephalgia/cephalodynia

head pain

Insomnia

inability to sleep

Syncope

fainting

Paresis

partial loss of sensation and movement

Paralysis

full loss of sensation and movement

Paresthesia

abnormal sensation (tingling)

Pseudesthesia

false sensation (phantom limb pain)

Synesthesia

one sensation is experienced as another

Causalgia

burning pain

Depression

persistent feeling of sadness

Anxiety

feeling upset, frustrated, or nervous

Phobias

abnormal fears

Acrophobia

abnormal fear of heights

Agoraphobia

abnormal fear of outdoor spaces

Hydrophobia

abnormal fear of water

Photophobia

abnormal fear of light

Encephalalgia

brain pain

Somnambulism

sleep walking

Aphasia

inability to speak

Dysphasia

difficulty speaking

Ataxia

lack of coordination

Catatonia

condition characterized by reduced muscle tone

Dystonia

condition characterized by involuntary muscle movements

Delirium

brief loss of mental function

Dementia

loss/decline in mental function

Dyslexia

difficulty reading

Dyskinesia

difficulty moving

Myoclonus

muscle twitching

Myospasm

involuntary muscle contraction

Dysesthesia

bad feeling

Hyperesthesia

increased sensation

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

nuclear medicine technique used to create cross-section of the brain

Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)

use of MRI with contrast dye to see the blood vessels of the brain

Echoencephalography

examination of the brain using sound

Electroencephalography (EEG)

recording of the electrical activity of the brain waves

lumbar puncture (LP)

removal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) from the lumbar area

Hematoma

tumor-like mass made up of blood

Cranial hematoma

hematoma beneath the skull

epidural hematoma

on top of the dura

Intracerebral hematoma

inside the brain

Subdural hematoma

beneath the dura

Cerebral atrophy

wasting away of brain tissue

Microcephaly

abnormally small skull

Macrocephaly

abnormally large skull

Neuroma

nerve tumor

Acoustic neuroma

rare, benign or non-cancerous, slow growing tumor that develops from the balance and hearing nerves supplying the inner ear

Morton's neuroma

develops on the ball of the foot

Myelogram

image of the spinal cord, usually done using x-ray

Cerebral angiography

procedure used to examine blood vessels in the brain

Cerebellitis

inflammation of the cerebellum

Duritis

inflammation of the dura

Encephalocele

hernia of the brain (normally through a defect in the skull)

Meningocele

a hernia of the meninges

Myelocele

a hernia of the spinal cord

Myelomeningocele

a hernia of the spinal cord and meninges

Myelomalacia

abnormal softening of the spinal cord

Neuritis

nerve inflammation

Polyneuritis

inflammation of multiple nerves

Neurosclerosis

hardening of nerves

Afferent nerve

a nerve that carries impulses toward the central nervous system

Efferent nerve

a nerve that carries impulses away from the central nervous system

Anesthesiologist

doctor who specializes in anesthesiology

Psychiatrist

doctor who specializes in the treatment of the mind

psychiatry

branch of medicine that focuses on the treatment of the mind

Psychologist

doctor who specializes in the study of the mind

Psychology

branch of medicine that focuses on the study of the mine

Neurogenic

originating from/created by nerves

Psychosomatic

pertaining to the relationship between the body and the mind

Psychogenic

originating from/created by the mind

Agnosia

inability to comprehend

Prosopagnosia

inability to recognize faces

Neuroglycopenia

deficiency of sugar that interferes with normal brain activity

Neurasthenia

nerve weakness

Hyperkinesia

increase in muscle movement or activity

Apathy

lack of emotion