The Nervous System and Mental Health

caus/o

burning, burn

cerebr/o

cerebrum, brain

concuss/o

shaken together, violently agitated

contus/o

bruise

encephal/o

brain

-esthesia

sensation, feeling

esthet/o

feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception

-mania

madness

mening/o

membranes, meninges

neur/i , neur/o

nerve, nerve tissue

-phasia

speak or speech

phobia

abnormal fear

psych/o

mind

radicul/o

root or nerve root

-tropic

having an affinity for

Central Nervous System (CNS)

Includes the brain and spinal cord.

Functions of the CNS

Receive and process information and to regulate all bodily activity.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS)

Consists of the 12 pairs of cranial nerves that extend from the brain, plus 31 pairs of spinal nerves that extend from the spinal cord.

Function of the PNS

Transmit nerve signals to and from the CNS.

Asceding nerve tracts

Carry nerve impulses toward the brain.

Descending nerve tracts

Carry nerve impulses away from the brain.

Ganglion

A nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous system.

Innervation

The supply of nerves to a specific body part.

Plexus

A network of intersecting spinal nerves.

Receptors

Sites in the sensory organs (eyes, ears, skin, nose, & taste buds) that receive external stimulation.

Neurons

Basic cells of the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with each other.

Dendrites

Root-like processes that receive impulses and conduct them to the cell body.

Axon

Process that conducts impulses away from the nerve cell.

Terminal end fibers

Branching fibers at the end of the axon that lead the nerve impulse from the axon to the synapse.

Synapse

Space between two neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse of a neuron to the target receptor.

Acetylcholine

Released at some synapses in the spinal cord and at neuromuscular junctions; influences muscle action.

Dopamine

Released within the brain and plays a role un motivation, pleasure, and muscle movement.

Endorphins

Naturally occurring substances that are produced by the brin to help relieve pain.

Norepinephrine

Affects alertness and arousal, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, and releasing stores of glucose in response to stress.

Serotonin

Released in the brain, has roles in sleep, hunger, and pleasure recognition,

Glial Cells

Provide support and protection for neurons

Glial cells four main functions are

Surround neurons and hold them in place, supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons, insulate one neuron from another, and destro and remove dead neurons.

Myelin sheath

Protective covering made up of glial cells.

Dura mater

Thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges.

Arachnoid Membrane

Resembles a spider web, is the second layer of the meninges and is located between the dura mater and the pia mater.

Pia mater

Third layer of the meninges, is located nearest to the brain and spinal cord.

Cerebrospinal fluid

Produced by special capillaries within the four ventricles located in the middle region of the cerebrum.

Cerebrum

Largest and uppermost portion of the brain.

Cerebrum is responsible for

all though, judgment, memory, and emotion; controlling and integrating motor and sensory functions.

Cerebral

Pertaining to the cerebrum.

Cerebral Cortex

Made up of gray matter, is the outer layer of the cerebrum and is made up of elevated folds and deep fissures.

Gyri

Elevated folds of gray matter in the cerebral cortex.

Sulci

Fissures of the cerebral cortex.

Left cerebral hemisphere

Controls majority of the functions on the right side of the body.

Left hemisphere injury

Produces sensory and motor deficits on the right side of the body.

Right cerebral hemisphere

Controls most of the functions on the left side of the body.

Right hemisphere injury

Produces sensory and motor deficits on the left side of the body.

Frontal lobe

Controls skilled motor functions, memory, and behavior.

Parietal lobe

Receives and interprets nerve impulses from sensory receptor in the tongue, skin, and muscles.

Occipital lobe

Controls eyesight.

Temporal lobe

Controls the senses of hearing and smell, and the ability to create, store, and access new information.

Thalamus

Located below the cerebrum, produces sensations by relaying impulses to and from the cerebrum and the sense organs of the body.

Hypothalamus

Located below the thalamus.

Functions of the hypothalamus

1. Regulates and integrates the autonomic nervous system, including controlling heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and digestive tract activity.

2. Regulates emotional responses, including fear and pleasure.

3. Regulate body temperature.

4. Regulates food intake by controlling hunger sensations.

5. Regulates water balance by controlling thirst sensations.

6. Regulates sleep-wakefulness cycles.

7. Regulates the pituitary gland and endocrine system activity.

Cerebellum

Second-largest part of the brain; located at the back of the head below the posterior portion of the cerebrum.

Brainstem

Stalk-like portion of the brain that connects the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord.

Midbrain & Pons

Provide conduction pathways to and from the higher and lower centers in the brain.

Medulla oblongat

Located at the lowest part of the brainstem, is connected to the spinal cord.

Spinal cord

A long, fragile, tube-like structure that begins at the end of the brainstem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spinal column.

Peripheral

Pertaining to body parts that are away from the center of the body.

Autonomic nerve fibers

Carry instructions to the oragns and glands from the autonomic nervous system.

Sensory nerve fibers

Receive external stimuli, such as how something feels, and transmit this information to the brain where it is interpreted.

Somatic nerve fibers

AKA motor nerve fibers, convey information that controls the body’s voluntary muscular movements.

C1-C8

Cranial nerves

T1-T12

Thoracic nerves

L1-L5

Lumbar nerves

S1-S5

Sacral nerves

Autonomic nervous system

Controls the involuntary actions of the body such as the functioning of internal organs.

Sympathric nerves

Prepare the body for emergencies and stress by increasing the respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood flow to muscles.

The ___ are part of the fight-or flight response and a division of the autonomic nervous system.

Sympathetic nerves.

Parasympathetic nerves

Return the body to normal after a response to stress.

Anesthesiologist

A physician who specializes in administering anesthetic agents before and during surgery.

Anesthetist

Medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia but is not a physician.

Neurologist

A physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the nervous system.

Neurosurgeon

A physician who specializes in surgery of the nervous system.

Psychiatrist

Physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating chemical dependencies, emotional problems, and mental illness.

Psychologist

Evaluates and treats emotional problems and mental illness.

Social worker

Trained therapist, usually with a master’s degree.

Cephalalgia

AKA headache, is pain in the head.

Migraine headache

A headache characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head and sometimes preceded by a warning aura.

Cluster headaches

Intensely painful headache that affect one side of the head and may be associated with tearing of the eyes and nasal congestion,

Encephalocele

AKA craniocele, is a congenital herniation of brain tissue through a gap in the skull.

Meningocele

Congenital herniation of the meninges through a defect in the skull or spinal column.

Hydrocephalus

A condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain.

Meningioma

A common, slow-growing, and usually benign tumor of the meninges.

Meningitis

AKA infections meningitis, is an inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord.

Chiari malformation

Congenital condition in which part of the cerebellum extends down into the spinal canal.

Encephalitis

An inflammation of the brain, can be caused by a viral infection such as rabies.

Reye’s Syndrome (RS)

A serious and potentially deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion.

Tetanus

AKA lockjaw, is an acute and potentially fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria.

Tourette Syndrome (TS)

A complex neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics, grunts, and compulsive utterances that sometimes include obscenities.