Medical Terminology Chapter 4 Nervous System and Psychiatry

Flashcards covering the nervous system divisions, medical terms, diseases, diagnostic procedures, treatments, therapeutic drugs, and psychological disorders from the lecture notes.

Nervous System

Divided into the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Consists of the brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Consists of nerves branching from the central nervous system to all parts of the body, including cranial and spinal nerves.

Motor Division of the PNS

Includes the somatic nervous system and the autonomic nervous system.

Somatic Nervous System

The voluntary component of the peripheral nervous system that allows conscious control of movement.

Autonomic Nervous System

The involuntary component of the peripheral nervous system that regulates automatic bodily function.

Parasympathetic Division

Reurns the body to every day function after a stressful event

Sympathetic Division

Prepares the body for stress; fight or flight response

cerebell/o

cerebellum (little brain)

cerebr/o

cerebrum

crani/o

Combining form meaning skull.

encephal/o

Combining form meaning entire brain.

esthesi/o

Combining form meaning sensation.

gangli/o

Combining form meaning ganglion (knot).

gli/o

Combining form meaning glue.

gnos/o

Combining form meaning knowing.

hypn/o

Combining form meaning sleep.

kinesi/o

Combining form meaning movement.

lex/o

Combining form meaning word or phrase.

mening/o, meningi/o

Combining forms meaning meninges (membrane).

myel/o

Combining form meaning spinal cord or bone marrow.

narc/o

Combining form meaning stupor or sleep.

neur/o

Combining form meaning nerve.

phas/o

Combining form meaning speech.

phob/o

Combining form meaning exaggerated fear or sensitivity.

phor/o

Combining form meaning carry or bear.

phren/o

Combining form meaning mind.

psych/o

Combining form meaning mind.

schiz/o

Combining form meaning split.

somat/o

Combining form meaning body.

somn/i, somn/o

Combining forms meaning sleep.

spin/o

Combining form meaning spine (thorn).

spondyl/o

Combining form meaning vertebra.

stere/o

Combining form meaning three-dimensional or solid.

tax/o

Combining form meaning order or coordination.

thalam/o

Combining form meaning thalamus (a room).

thym/o

Combining form meaning mind.

ton/o

Combining form meaning tone or tension.

top/o

Combining form meaning place.

ventricul/o

Combining form meaning ventricle (belly or pouch).

vertebr/o

Combining form meaning vertebra.

cata-

Prefix meaning down.

-asthenia

Suffix meaning weakness.

-lepsy

Suffix meaning seizure.

-mania

Suffix meaning condition of abnormal impulse toward.

-paresis

Suffix meaning slight paralysis.

-plegia

Suffix meaning paralysis.

aphasia (ă-fā′zē-ă)

Impairment because of localized brain injury that affects the understanding, retrieving, and formulating of meaningful and sequential elements of language, as demonstrated by an inability to use or comprehend words; occurs because of a stroke, head trauma, or disease.

dysphasia (dis-fā′zē-ă)

Impairment in speech production and inability to arrange words in an understandable way.

coma (kō′mă)

A general term referring to levels of decreased consciousness with varying responsiveness; a common method of assessment is the Glasgow coma scale.

Glasgow coma scale (GCS) (glas′gōkō′măskāl)

A neurologic scale used to assess level of consciousness.

delirium (dē-lir′ē-ŭm)

A state of mental confusion caused by disturbances in cerebral function; causes include fever, shock, and drug overdose.

dementia (dē-men′shē-ă)

An impairment of intellectual function characterized by memory loss, disorientation, and confusion.

motor deficit (mō′terdef′i-sit)

Loss or impairment of muscle function.

sensory deficit (sen′sŏ-rēdef′i-sit)

Loss or impairment of sensation.

neuralgia (nū-ral′jē-ă)

Pain along the course of a nerve.

paralysis (pă-ral′i-sis)

Temporary or permanent loss of motor control.

flaccid paralysis (flak′sid pă-ral′i-sis)

Defective (flabby) or absent muscle control caused by a nerve lesion.

spastic paralysis (spas′tik pă-ral′i-sis)

Stiff and awkward muscle control caused by a central nervous system disorder.

hemiparesis (hem′ē-pă-rē′sis)

Partial paralysis of the right or left half of the body.

sciatica (sī-at′i-kă)

Pain that follows the pathway of the sciatic nerve, caused by compression or trauma of the nerve or its roots.

seizure (sē′zhŭr)

Sudden, transient disturbances in brain function resulting from an abnormal firing of nerve impulses; may or may not be associated with convulsion.

convulsion (kon-vŭl′shŭn)

To pull together; type of seizure that causes a series of sudden, involuntary contractions of muscles.

syncope (sin′kŏ-pē)

Fainting.

tactile stimulation (tak′til stim-yū-lā′shŭn)

Evoking a response by touching.

hyperesthesia (hī′pĕr-es-thē′zē-ă)

Increased sensitivity to stimulation such as touch or pain.

paresthesia (par-es-thē′zē-ă)

Abnormal sensation of numbness and tingling without objective cause.

agnosia (ag-nō′zē-ă)

Any of many types of loss of neurologic function involving interpretation of sensory information.

astereognosis (ă-stĕr′ē-og-nō′sis)

Inability to judge the form of an object by touch (e.g., a coin from a key).

atopognosis (ă-top-og-nō′sis)

Inability to locate a sensation properly, such as an inability to locate a point touched on the body.

Alzheimer disease (awlz′hī-mĕr di-zēz′)

Disease of structural changes in the brain resulting in an irreversible deterioration that progresses from forgetfulness and disorientation to loss of all intellectual functions, total disability, and death.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (ă-mī-ō-trō′fik lat′ĕr-ăl sklĕ-rō′sis)

Condition of progressive deterioration of motor nerve cells resulting in total loss of voluntary muscle control; also known as Lou Gehrig disease.

cerebral palsy (CP) (se-rē′brălpawl′zē)

Condition of motor dysfunction caused by damage to the cerebrum during development or injury at birth; characterized by partial paralysis and lack of muscle coordination.

cerebrovascular disease (ser′ĕ-brō-vas′kyū-lăr di-zēz′)

Disorder resulting from a change within one or more blood vessels of the brain.

cerebral arteriosclerosis (se-rē′brăl ar-tēr′ē-ō-skler-ō′sis)

Hardening of the arteries of the brain.

cerebral atherosclerosis (se-rē′brălath′er-ō-skler-ō′sis)

Condition of lipid (fat) buildup within the blood vessels of the brain.

cerebral aneurysm (se-rē′brălan′yū-rizm)

Dilation of a blood vessel in the brain.

cerebral embolism (se-rē′brălem′bo-lizm)

Obstruction of a blood vessel in the brain by an embolus (blood clot, air bubble, or fat deposit) transported through the circulation.

cerebral thrombosis (se-rē′brălthrom-bō′sis)

Presence of a stationary clot in a blood vessel of the brain.

cerebrovascular accident (CVA) (ser′ĕ-brō-vas′kyū-lăr ak′si-dent)

Damage to the brain caused by cerebrovascular disease, such as occlusion of a blood vessel or intracranial hemorrhage; also called stroke.

stroke (strōk)

Damage to the brain caused by cerebrovascular disease, such as occlusion of a blood vessel or intracranial hemorrhage; also called cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

transient ischemic attack (TIA) (tranz′ē-ent is-kē′mikă-tak′)

Brief episode of loss of blood flow to the brain, usually caused by a partial occlusion that results in temporary neurologic deficit; often precedes a CVA.

encephalitis (en-sef-ă-lī′tis)

Inflammation of the brain.

epilepsy (ep′i-lep′sē)

Disorder affecting the central nervous system; characterized by recurrent seizures.

tonic–clonic seizure (ton′ik-klon′ik sē′zhŭr)

Stiffening-jerking; a major motor seizure involving all muscle groups; previously termed grand mal seizure.

absence seizure (ab′sens sē′zhŭr)

Seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor involvement; previously termed petit mal seizure.

partial seizure (par′shăl sē′zhŭr)

Seizure involving only limited areas of the brain with localized symptoms.

glioma (glī-ō′mă)

Tumor of neuroglia.

herniated disc (disk) (hĕr′nē-ā-tĕd disk)

Protrusion of a degenerated or fragmented intervertebral disk causing compression on the spinal nerve root.

herpes zoster (hĕr′pēz zos′tĕr)

Viral disease affecting the peripheral nerves, characterized by painful blisters that spread over the skin following the affected nerves, usually unilateral; also known as shingles.

Huntington disease (HD) (hŭn′ting-tŏn di-zēz)

Hereditary disease of the central nervous system characterized by bizarre, involuntary body movements and progressive dementia; also called Huntington chorea.

hydrocephalus (hī-drō-sef′ă-lŭs)

Abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain.

meningioma (mĕ-nin′jē-ō′mă)

Benign tumor of the coverings of the brain (the meninges).

meningitis (men-in-jī′tis)

Inflammation of the meninges.

migraine headache (mī′grān hed′āk)

Paroxysmal attacks of mostly unilateral headache, often accompanied by disordered vision, nausea, or vomiting, lasting hours or days and caused by dilation of arteries.

multiple sclerosis (MS) (mŭl′ti-pul sklĕ-rō′sis)

Disease of the central nervous system characterized by the demyelination (deterioration of the myelin sheath) of nerve fibers.

myasthenia gravis (mī-as-thē′nē-ăgra′vis)

Autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction, causing a progressive decrease in muscle strength.

myelitis (mī′ĕ-lī′tis)

Inflammation of the spinal cord.

narcolepsy (nar′kō-lep-sē)

Sleep disorder characterized by a sudden, uncontrollable need to sleep, attacks of paralysis (cataplexy), and dreams intruding while awake (hypnagogic hallucinations).

neural tube defects (nūr′ăl tūb dē′fektz)

Congenital deformities of the brain and spinal cord caused by incomplete development of the neural tube.