MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY - Chapter 12 - Nervous System

alges/o

sense of pain

cephal/o

head

cerebell/o

cerebellum

cerebr/o

cerebrum

crani/o

skull

cutane/o

skin

cyt/o

cell

dur/o

dura mater

electr/o

electricity

encephal/o

brain

esthesi/o

sensation, feeling

lumb/o

lower back

medull/o

medulla oblongata

mening/o

meninges

meningi/o

meninges

ment/o

mind

myel/o

spinal cord

neur/o

nerve

poli/o

gray matter

scler/o

hard

ventricul/o

ventricle

vertebr/o

vertebra

-asthenia

weakness

-gram

record

-graphy

process of recording

-paresis

weakness

-phasia

speech

-plasty

surgical repair

-plegia

paralysis

anti-

against

de-

without

endo-

within

hemi-

half

para-

abnormal, two like parts of a pair

quadri-

four

semi-

partial

cephalic

pertaining to the head

cerebral

pertaining to the cerebrum

cerebrospinal

pertaining to the cerebrum and spine

cranial

pertaining to the skull

encephalic

pertaining to the brain

intracranial

pertaining to within the skull

meningeal

pertaining to the meinges

neural

pertaining to the nerves

pontine

pertaining to the pons

spinal

pertaining to the spine

subdural

pertaining to under the dura mater

thalamic

pertaining to the thalamus

ventricular

pertaining to the ventricles

vertebral

pertaining to the vertebrae

neurology

Branch of medicine concerned with treating conditions and diseases of the nervous systems by surgical means.

• physician is a neurosurgeon

absence seizure

epileptic seizure characterized by loss of awareness and absence of activity; formerly called a PETIT MAL SEIZURE

analgesia

absence of pain

aphasia

inability to communicate verbally or in writing due to damage to the language centers of the brain

aura

sensations occurring prior to epileptic seizure or migraine; seeing colors or smelling odors

cephalagia

headache

coma

state of profound unconsciousness

convulsion

severe involuntary muscle contractions and relaxation

delirium

abnormal mental state of confusion, disorientation, and agitation

dementia

progressive impairment of intellectual function that interferes with activities of daily living

dysphasia

difficulty communicating verbally or in writing

focal seizure

seizure in only one limb or body part

hemiparesis

weakness on one side of body

hemiplegia

paralysis on one side of body

neuralgia

nerve pain

paraplegia

paralysis of the lower portion of the body

paresthesia

abnormal sensations such as burning or tingling

quadriplegia

paralysis of all four limbs

seizure

sudden, uncontrollable onset of symptoms, such as in epileptic seizure

syncope

fainting

tonic-clonic seizure

epileptic seizure with strong muscle spasms and loss of consciousness; formerly called a GRAND MAL SEIZURE

tremor

involuntary repetitive alternating movements of a body part

Alzheimer’s disease

• abbreviation: AD

• disorder characterized by dementia, progressive disorientation, apathy, and loss of memory

cerebellitis

inflammation of cerebellum

cerebral aneurysm

localized, abnormal dilation of a blood vessel; ruptured aneurysm is a common cause of hemorrhagic cerebrovascular accident

cerebral palsy

• abbreviation: CP

• brain damage resulting from defect, trauma, infection, or oxygen deprivation before, during, or shortly after birth

cerebrovascular accident

• abbreviation: CVA

• infarct due to loss of blood supply to the brain; commonly called a STROKE

encephalitis

inflammation of the brain

hydrocephalus

accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within brain ventricles; treated with the creation of an artificial shunt

migraine

specific type of headache with severe pain, light sensitivity, dizziness, and nausea

Parkinson’s disease

chronic disorder of brain with fine tremors, muscle weakness, rigidity, and a shuffling gait

Reye’s syndrome

combination of acute encephalopathy and organ damage; follows viral infection; also associated with aspirin

transient ischemic attack

• abbreviation: TIA

• temporary interference with blood supply to brain; may lead to aCVA

meningocele

protrusion of the meninges through an opening in the vertebral column

myelitis

inflammation of the spinal cord

myelomeningocele

protrusion of the meninges and the spinal cord through an opening in the vertebral column

poliomyelitis

viral infection of the gray matter of the spinal cord; paralysis may be mild and temporary or severe and permanent

spina bifida

congenital defect where laminae of the vertebra do not meet or close to form the spinal canal

bell’s palsy

one-sided facial paralysis due to facial nerve inflammation; inflammation is typically viral in nature; most patients recover

multiple sclerosis

• abbreviation: MS

• inflammatory disease of the CNS; causes weakness and numbness due to loss of myelin sheath from nerves; plaque appear

myasthenia gravis

muscular weakness and fatigue and fatigue due to insufficient neurotransmitter at a synapse

shingles

eruption of painful blisters on body along a nerve path; caused by herpes zoster virus

subdural hematoma

mass of blood forming beneath the dura mater due a tear in the meninges can exert fatal pressure on the brain

cerebrospinal fluid analysis

• CLINICAL LAB TEST

• examination of the CSF; may detect infections and blood in the fluid

brain scan

• DIAGNOSTIC IMAGE

• image of the brain taken after injection of radioactive isotopes into the bloodstream

cerebral angiography

• DIAGNOSTIC IMAGE

• X RAY of the blood vessels of the brain after injection of radioplaque dye

position emission tomography

• DIAGNOSTIC IMAGE

• abbreviation: PET

• image of the brain cut along a plane produced by measuring gamma rays emitted after injection with radioactive glucose; glucose update by the tissue is indicative of metabolic activity

electroencephalography

• DIAGNOSTIC IMAGE

• abbreviation: EEG

• a recording of the electrical activity of the brain by placing electrodes on the scalp; also used during sleep studies

lumbar puncture

• DIAGNOSTIC IMAGE

• puncture with a needle in the lumbar area to remove CSF for examination or to inject anesthesia

nerve conduction velocity

• DIAGNOSTIC IMAGE

• measures the speed at which an impulse travels along a nerve; reveals nerve damage