An Introduction to Medical Terminology Chapter 10 The Nervous System

caus/o

burn, burning

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

-graphy

process of producing a picture or record

mening/o

membranes, meninges

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

neur/i, neur/o

nerve, nerve tissue

phobia

Abnormal fear

psych/o

mind

radicul/o

root or nerve root

tropic

having an affinity for

Acrophobia

Excessive fear of heights

Alzheimer's Disease

A group of disorders involving parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language; marked by progressive deterioration of memory and reasoning capabilities. Leading cause of dementia

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

"Lou Gehrig's Disease" Rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. Become progressively weaker until they are completely paralyzed and die.

Anesthetic

Medication used to induce anesthesia (absence of normal sensation)....may be topical, local, regional, or general

Anesthetist

a medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia, but is not a physician

Anxiety Disorders

Mental conditions characterized by excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations or fear that is out of proportion to the real danger in a situation

Autism

Subgroup of autistic spectrum disorders; demonstrate significant developmental delays...typically minimal verbal skills and lack normal social relationships

Bell's palsy

Temporary paralysis of the 7th cranial nerve; paralysis only of the affected side of the face---->may cause inability to close the eye, pain, tearing, drooling, hypersensitivity to sound in the affected ear, and impairment of taste

Carotid Ultrasonography

an ultrasound study of the carotid artery to detect plaque buildup in the artery to predict or diagnose an ischemic stroke

Causalgia

Persistent, severe burning pain that usually follows an injury to a sensory nerve

Cerebral Contusion

Bruising of brain tissue as the result of a head injury that causes the brain to bounce against the skull

Cerebral Palsy

Condition characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, speech deficits, and other neurologic deficiencies. (cerebrum damage)

Cerebrovascular accident

Damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted due to a blocked blood vessel or ruptured blood vessel.

Cervical Radiculopathy

Nerve pain caused by pressure on spinal nerve roots in the neck region

Claustrophobia

Abnormal fear of being in small or enclosed spaces

Cognition

Mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory

Coma

A profound (deep) state of unconsciousness marked by the absence of spontaneous eye movements, no response to painfull stimuli, and the lack of speech

Concussion

A violent shaking up or jarring of the brain

Cranial hematoma

a collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain

Delirium

Acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, agitation, and hallucinations. Usually caused by a treatable physical condition

Delirium Tremens

Disorder involving sudden and severe mental changes or seizures caused by abruptly stopping the use of alcohol. (DTs)

Delusion

False personal belief that is maintained despite obvious proof or evidence to the contrary

Dementia

A slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, and judgment, that is often accompanied by personality changes

Dura Mater

Thick, tough, outermost membrane of meninges (system of membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord)

Dyslexia

AKA a developmental reading disorder; a learning disability due to inability of the brain to process symbols

Echoencephalography

Use of ultrasound imaging to create a detailed visual image of the brain for diagnostic purposes

Electroencephalography

Process of recording the electrical activity of the brain through the us of electrodes attached to the scalp

Encephalitis

inflammation of the brain

Epidural anesthesia

Regional anesthesia produced by injecting medication into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine.

Epilepsy

A chronic neurologic disorder that is characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures

Factitious Disorder

Condition in which a person acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome

Inflammation of the myelin sheath or peripheral nerves, characterized by rapidly worsening muscle weakness that can lead to temporary paralysis

Hallucination

sensory perceptions that occur in the absence of an external stimulus. (sight, touch, sound, smell, or taste)

Hemorrhagic Stroke

Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or when an brain aneurysm ruptures

Hydrocephalus

Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluids in the ventricles of the brain.

Hyperesthesia

Excessive sensitivity to touch, pain, or other sensory stimuli

Hypochondriasis

A type of somatoform disorder; fearing that one has a serious illness despite appropriate medical evaluation and reassurance

Ischemic stroke

a type of stroke that occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked

Lethargy

Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord; caused by a bacterial or viral infection elsewhere in the body; intense headache and flu-like symptoms

Meningitis

Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord; caused by a bacterial or viral infection elsewhere in the body; intense headache and flu-like symptoms

Meningocele

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

Migraine headache

Characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head, may be preceded by a warning aura (visual disturbance perceived by the patient); sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound

Multiple Sclerosis

A progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation that causes demyelination of the myelin sheath. Scars the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves--->disrupting transmission of nerve impulses. Has periods of exacerbation & remission.

Myelitis

Dual meaning: 1. inflammation of the bone marrow 2. inflammation of the spinal cord

Myelography

A radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture.

Narcolepsy

A sleep disorder consisting of sudden and uncontrollable brief episodes of falling asleep during the day.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical substance, produced by the body, that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse (Space between two neurons) of a neuron to the target receptor. Examples - Endorphins or Norepinephrine

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Recurrent obsessions and compulsions (obsession=repetitive & distressing thought; compulsion=repetitive action); OCD makes someone feel they must do the compulsion to prevent harm or stop the obsession.

Panic attack

An anxiety disorder characterized as an unexpected, sudden experience of fear in the absence of danger, accompanied by physical symptoms such as shortness of breath and chest pain.

Paresthesia

Burning or prickling sensation felt on the hands, arms, legs, or feet

Parkinson's Disease

Chronic, degenerative central nervous disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, and a slow or shuffling gait.....will also "pill roll" with thumb and index finger; lack neurotransmitter dopamine

peripheral neuropathy

disorder of the peripheral nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

May develop after an event involving actual or threatened death or injury to the individual or someone else, during which the person felt intense fear, helplessness, or horror. Symptoms: emotional numbing, hyperarousal, anxiety, sleep disorders, persistent relieving of the event

Reye's syndrome

A potentially serious or deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion, sometimes following a viral illness for which the child was treated with ASPRIN.

Schizophrenia

A psychotic disorder characterized by withdrawl from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations....and accompanied by varying degrees of other emotional, behavioral, and or intellectual disturbances

Sciatica

Inflammation of the sciatic nerve that results in pain, burning, and tingling along the course of the affected nerve.

Seizure

A sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects how a person feels or acts for a short time.

Shaken baby syndrome

Results of a child being violently shaken by someone. Can cause brain injury, blinds, fractures, seizures, paralysis, and death

Syncope

Brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain. AKA fainting

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Characterized by severe lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve. These sudden, intense, brief attacks of sharp pain affect the cheek, lips, and gums only on the side of the face innervated by the affected nerve