Med Term Quiz 5: Chapters 13 - 15

Alzheimer disease

characterized by progressive mental deterioration, often with confusion, disorientation, restlessness, speech disturbances, and inability to carry out purposeful movement

Analgesic

an agent that relieves pain without causing loss of consciousness; acts on central nervous system

Anticonvulsant

relieves or prevents convulsions; acts on central nervous system

Antidepressants

treats depression and other mental disorders; acts on central nervous system

Aphagia

inability or refusal to swallow; characterized by abstention from eating because swallowing is painful

Aphasia

an abnormal neurologic condition in which there is absence or impairment of the ability to communicate through speech, writing, or signs

Autism

characterized by withdrawal and impaired development in social interaction and communication

Cephalalgia

headache;

Cerebrovascular accident

normal blood supply to the brain is disrupted; results in insufficient oxygen to brain tissue and is caused by hemorrhage, occlusion (closing), or constriction of the blood vessels that normally supply oxygen to the brain; paralysis, weakness, speech defect, and other complications, as well as death, may occur

Cerebrum

a major structure of the brain; largest most anterior portion of the brain that sits atop the brainstem and is divided into two

Cervical

pertaining to the neck; sometimes pertaining to the cervix

Coma

state of unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be aroused, even by powerful stimulation

Cranium

the skull

Dementia

a progressive mental disorder characterized by chronic personality disintegration, confusion, disorientation, and deterioration of intellectual capacity and function

Dysphagia

inability to read, spell, and write words despite the ability to see and recognize letters

Dysphasia

speech impairment caused by a lesion in the brain; characterized by lack of coordination and failure to arrange words properly

Epilepsy

a group of neurologic disorders characterized by recurrent episodes of convulsive seizures, sensory disturbances, loss of consciousness, or all of these. An uncontrolled electrical discharge from the nerve cells of the cerebral cortex is common to all types of _______. _________ is diagnosed in persons of all ages by electroencephalography, the process of measuring the electrical impulses of the brain.

Hydrocephalus

accumulation of fluid in the skull (that usually causes increased intracranial pressure); when this happens in an infant before fusion of the cranial bones, the skull enlarges, in an older child or adults, the pressure damages the soft brain tissue

Lumbar

pertaining to the lower back; a region of the spinal cord

Myelitis

inflammation of the bone marrow and spinal cord

Myelography

radiographic examination of the spinal cord by injection of a radiopaque medium

Neuralgia

pain along the course of a nerve

Parkinson disease

chronic nervous disease characterized by a fine, slowly spreading tremor, muscular weakness, rigidity, and often a peculiar gait

Phobias

obsessive, irrational, and intense fears of an object, an activity, or a physical situation

Psychomatic

expression of an emotional conflict through physical symptoms

Quadriplegia

paralysis of all four extremities (arms and legs); also called tetraplegia

Shunt

passages or bypasses between two vessels; used to redirect cerebrospinal fluid from one area to another using a tube or an implanted device

Spinal cord

a cylindric structure located in the canal of the vertebral column

Subdural hematoma

accumulation of blood beneath the dura mater

Transient ischemic attack

caused by a brief interruption in cerebral blood flow. Ischemic refers to deficient blood circulation; symptoms often include disturbance of normal vision, dizziness, weakness, and numbness; usually last only a few minutes and do not cause permanent disabilities

Acoustic

pertaining to sound or hearing

Audible

capable of being heard

Audiologist

detects and evaluates hearing loss and determines how a patient can best make use of remaining hearing; hearing specialist

Auditory

pertaining to the sense of hearing and the organs involved

Cataract

an abnormal progressive condition of the lens, characterized by loss of transparency; comes form Latin word meaning waterfall

Choroid

a dark brown membrane inside the sclera that is continuous with the iris and the ciliary body on the anterior surface of the eye; function of blood supply

Cochlear implant

an implanted device that assists hearing by electrically stimulating the cochlea; hearing aid that amplifies sound used in complete hearing loss

Deafness

inability to hear; having some degree of hearing impairment is termed "hearing impaired"

Glaucoma

an abnormal condition of increased pressure within the eye; prolonged pressure can damage the retina and optic nerve

Lens

function of light refraction; a transparent, biconvex structure located directly behind the iris and pupil, suspended within the anterior segment of the eye

Macular degeneration

a progressive deterioration of the retina associated with new vessel formation that can progress to blindness

Ocular

pertaining to the eye

Olfactory

pertaining to the sense of smell

Ophthalmic

pertaining to the eye (longer)

Optic

pertaining to vision

Otitis media

inflammation of the middle ear

Retina

the delicate nervous tissue membrane of the eye; continuous with the optic nerve and enables vision; function is to transform optic signals into nerve impulses

Tinnitus

noise in the ears, one of the most common complaints of persons with ear or hearing disorders; noise includes ringing, buzzing, roaring, or clicking and may be a sign of something as simple as earwax accumulation or cerumen or as serious as Meniere disease

Vertigo

dizziness

Adenoma

tumor of a gland

Adrenal

pertaining to the adrenal glands; lies above each of the two kidneys

Diabetes Mellitus (DM)

produces hyperglycemia and is associated with insufficient or improper use of insulin; primarily a result of resistance to insulin or lack of insulin secretion by the insulin-secreting cells of the pancreas

Goiter

abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland, a butterfly-shaped gland located at the base of the neck just below the Adam's apple

Hyperglycemia

increased level of glucose in the blood

Hyperparathyroidism

abnormally increased activity of the parathyroid

Hypoglycemia

decreased level of glucose in the blood; abnormally low blood sugar

Hypothyroidism

decreased activity of the thyroid

Insulin

endocrine gland: pancreas, major function is to regulate blood glucose by coordinating with other hormones

Pancreas

elongated, J-shaped gland located deep in the abdomen, behind the stomach and across the spine; does endocrine and exocrine functions

Pituitary

attached by a stalk at the base of the brain; also called hypophysis

Radioresistant

cancerous tumors that are not affected by radiation

Radiosensitive

cancerous tumors that are destroyed by radiation

Thyroid

gland located at the front of the neck which consists of bilateral lobes which are connected by a narrow strip of thyroid tissue