Chapter 5: The Nervous System - Neurology & Psychiatry

-asthenia

weakness

-cephal/o

head

cerebell/o

cerebellum

cerebr/o, encephal/o

brain

crani/o

head, skull

dur/o

tough outer membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord

esthesi/o

feeling, sensation

gangli/o

nerve bundle

gnosi/o

know

hypn/o

sleep

lob/o

lobe

-mania

excessive desire

mening/o, meningi/o

meninges; membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

neur/o

nerve

-paresis

slight or partial paralysis

phas/o

speech

-phobia

excessive fear

phren/o

mind

-plegia

paralysis

psych/o

mind

somn/o, somn/i

sleep

tax/o

arrangement, order coordination

ton/o

muscle tone, tension

Acrophobia

fear of heights

Afferent nerve

a nerve that carries impulses toward the central nervous system

Agnosia

inability to comprehend

Agoraphobia

fear of outdoor spaces

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

a degenerative disease of the central nervous system, causing loss of muscle control; also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease

Analgesic

a drug that relieves pain

Anesthesiologist

doctor who specializes in anesthesiology

Anesthetic

a drug that causes loss of sensation

Anorexia

an eating disorder characterized by the patient’s restricting food or refusing to eat

Anticonvulsant

a drug that opposes convulsions

Antidepressant

a drug that opposes depression

Antipsychotic

a drug that opposes psychosis

Anxiolytic

a drug that lessens anxiety

Apathy

lack of emotion

Aphasia

inability to speak

Astrocytoma

a tumor eating from astrocyte glial cell

Ataxia

lack of coordination

Autism

a psychiatric disorder characterized by difficulties in social communication and interaction, as well as repetitive and/or restrictive patterns of behavior or interests

Bulimia

an eating disorder characterized by overeating and usually followed by purging or getting rid of the food (e.g. forced vomiting)

Catatonia

condition characterized by reduced muscle tone

Causalgia

painful sensation of burning

Cephalalgia, Cephalodynia

head pain

Cerebellitis

inflammation of the cerebellum

Cerebral aneurysm

the widening or abnormal dilation of a blood vessel in the brain

Cerebral angiography

procedure used to examine blood vessels in the brain

Cerebral arteriosclerosis

the hardening of an artery in the brain

Cerebral atherosclerosis

the hardening of an artery in the brain caused by the buildup of fatty plaque

Cerebral atrophy

wasting away of brain tissue

Cerebral embolism

the blockage of a blood vessel in the brain caused by a foreign object (embolus) such as fat or bacteria

Cerebral palsy (CP)

paralysis caused by damage to the area of the brain responsible for movement

Cerebral thrombosis

the blockage of a blood vessel in the brain caused by a clot

Cerebromeningitis

inflammation of the brain and meninges

Cerebrotomy

incision into the brain

Cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

an accident involving the blood vessels of the brain

Cerebrovascular disease

a disease of the blood vessels of the brain

Clonus

muscle spasm or twitching

Cranial hematoma

a hematoma beneath the skull

Craniectomy

removal of a piece of the skull

Craniomalacia

abnormal softening of the skull

Craniosclerosis

abnormal hardening of the skull

Craniostenosis

abnormal narrowing of the skull

Craniosynostosis

the premature fusing of the skull bones

Craniotomy

incision into the skull

Delirium

brief loss of mental function

Dementia

loss/decline in mental function

Duritis

inflammation of the dura

Dysesthesia

bad feeling

Dyskinesia

difficulty moving

Dyslexia

difficulty reading

Dysplasia

difficulty speaking

Dysphoria

a negative emotional state

Dystonia

condition characterized by involuntary muscle movements

Echoencephalography

procedure used to examine the brain using sound waves

Efferent nerve

a nerve that carries impulses away from the central nervous system

Electroencephalography (EEG)

procedure used to examine the electrical activity of the brain

Encephalalgia

brain pain

Encephalitis

inflammation of the brain

Encephalocele

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

Encephalography

procedure for studying the brain

Encephalomyelitis

inflammation of the brain and spinal cord

Encephalomyeloneuropathy, Neuroencephalomyelopathy

disease of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves

Encephalopathy

disease of the brain

Encephalopyosis

a pus-filled abscess in the brain

Endarterectomy

removal of the inside of an artery

Endovascular neurosurgery

surgery on the nervous system performed by entering the body through the blood vessels

Epidural anesthetic

anesthetic applied in the dural region of the spinal cord

Epidural hematoma

a hematoma located on top of the dura

Epilepsy

a disease marked by seizures

Euphoria

a positive emotional state

Ganglitis

inflammation of the ganglion

Ganglioma

ganglion tumor

General anesthetic

anesthetic that causes complete loss of consciousness

Glioblastoma

a brain tumor arising from glioblast cells

Hematoma

a tumorlike mass made up of blood

Hemiparesis

partial paralysis on half of the body

Hemiplegia

paralysis on half of the body