Medical term ch. 10

the nervous system and mental health

caus/o

burning, burn

cerebr/o

cerebrum: largest and uppermost portion of the brain; responsible for all thought, judgment, memory, and emotion as well as for controlling and integrating motor and sensory functions,

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: the system of membranes the enclose the brain and spinal cord, consists of three layers of connective tissue; dura mater, the arachnoid membrane and the pia mater

neur/i, neur/o

nerve: one or more bundles of neurons that connect the brain and spinal cord with other parts of the body, nerve tissue

Tract: bundle or group of nerve fibers located within the brain or spinal cord

• ascending nerve tracts: carry nerve impulses toward the brain

• descending nerve tracts carry nerve impulses away from the brain

-phasia

speak or speech

phobia

abnormal fear

pysch/o

mind

radicul/o

root or nerve root

-tropic

having an affinity for

acrophobia

an excessive fear of heights

Alzheimer’s disease

a group of disorders involving the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

a rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles

anesthetic

medication used to induce anesthesia

anesthetist

a medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia but is not a physician, for example, a nurse anesthetist

anorexia nervosa

eating disorder characterized by a false perception of body appearance that leads to an inability to maintain a healthy body weight

anxiety disorders

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

autism spectrum disorder

condition with different levels of symptom severity in which a person ahs difficulty developing normal social relationships and a condition with different levels of symptom severity in which a young child has difficulty developing normal sociaal relationships and communication skills, may compulsively follow repetitive routines, and has narrowly focused, intense interests that are sometimes unusual

bell’s palsy

temporary paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve that causes paralysis only on the affected side of the face

carotid ultrasonography

an ultrasound study of the carotid artery performed to predict or diagnose an ischemic stroke

causalgia

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

cerebral (pertaining to the cerebrum or brain) contusion

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

cerebral palsy

gorup of disorders characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity and other neurologic deficiencies

cerebrovascular accident

brain damage that occurs when blood flow to the brain is disrupted; aka stroke, 3rd leading cause of death, primary cause of long-term disability

signs

• facial droop: side of face droops or does not move equally

• arm drift: weakness on one side of the body

• speech abnormality: slurred speech

• time: if any signs present, immediately to er for treatment

cervical radiculopathy

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

claustrophobia

abnormal fear of being in small or enclosed spaces

cognition

the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory

coma

deep state of unconsciousness marked by the absence of spontaneous eye movements, no response to painful stimuli, and no vocalization

concussion

violent shaking up or jarring of the brainc

cranial hematoma

collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain

delirium

an acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, agitation and hallucinations

delirium tremens

a disorder involving sudden and severe mental changes or seizures caused by abruptly stoppping the use of alcohol

delusion

false persnal belief that is maintained despite obvious proof or evidence the the contrary

dementia

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

• vascular dementia: form of dementia caused by a stroke or other restriction of the flow of blood to the brain. Although Alzheimer’s disease is the primary cause of dementia, vascular dementia accounts for about 10% to 20% of all cases.

dura mater

the thick tough, outermost membrain of the meninges; dura means hard, mater means mother

dyslexia

learning disability characterized by substandard reading achievement due to the inability of the brain to process symbols correctly

electroencephalography

process of recording the electrical activity of the brain throught the use of electrodes attached to the scalp

encephalitis

inflammation of the braine

epidural anesthesia

regional anesthesia produced by injection medication into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine

epilepsy

a chronic neurologic condition characterized by recurrent episodes of sezures of varying severity

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

“ “ by proxy: form of child abuse, Although seeming very concerned about the child’s well-being, the mentally ill parent will falsify an illness in a child by making up or inducing symptoms and then seeking medical treatment, even surgery, for the child.

hallucination

sensory perception experienced in the absence of external stimulation

a hemorrhagic stroke

damage to the brain that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks; also when aneurysm within the brain ruptures

hydrocephalus

condition in which excess cerebrospinalfluid accumulates within the ventricles of the brain

hyperesthesia

condition of abnormal and excessive sensitivity to touch, pain, or other sensory stimuli

ischemic stroke

brain damage that occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked by the narrowing or blockage of an artery

lethargy

a lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy

meningitis

inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord

meningocele

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

migraine headache

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

multiple sclerosis

progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation that causes demyelination of the myelin sheath

myelitis

inflammation of the spinal cord; inflammation of bone marrow

acute flaccid myelitis: inflammation of the spinal cord that most commonly occurs in children after a viral infection and causes muscle weakness and decreased reflexes, similar to polio

myelography

fluoroscopic and CT study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture

narcolepsy

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

neurotransmitters

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

obsessive-compulsive disorder

a mental condition characterized by obsessions and or compulsions

panic attack

unexpected, sudden experience of fear in the absence of danger, accompanied by physical symptoms such as shortness of breath and palpitations

parasomnia

general term for several categories of sleep disorders that occur while falling asleep, during sleep, or while waking from sleep

paresthesia

burning or prickling sensation with no apparent physical cause that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in otherparts of the body

Parkinson’s disease

chronic degenerative central nervous system disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, and a slow or shuffling gait

peripheral neuropathy

disorder of the peripheral nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord producing pain, loss os sensation, and inability to control muscles

• neuropathy: any disease or damage to a nerve

• mononeuropathy: damage to a singular peripheral nerve; carpal tunnel syndrome

• polyneuropathy: is when multiple peripheral nerves are damaged; diabetes, truama, vitamin deficiencies, alcoholism

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

reye’s syndrome

potentially serious or deadly disorder in children characterized by vomiting and confision sometimes flollowin a viral llness for which the child was treated with asprin

schizophrenia

psychotic disorder characterized by withdrawl from reality, ilogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations

sciatica

inflammation of the sciatic nerve caused by pressure on the nerve roots that results in pain, burning and tingling along the course of the affected nerve

seizure

sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain taht affects how a person feels or acts ofr a short time sha

shaken baby syndrome

syndrome that results from a child being violently shaken by someone

syncope

brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain

tremor

a repetitive, involuntary muscle movement usually involving the hands, arms, head, or face

trigeminal neuralgia

chronic pain condition characterized by severe, lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fith cranial nerve; these sudden, intense, brief attacks of sharp pain affect hte cheek, lips, and gums only on the side of the face innervated by the affected nerve

central nervous system (CNS)

• includes the brain and spinal cord. The functions of the central nervous system are to receive and process information and to regulate all bodily activity.

peripheral nervous system (PNS)

includes the 12 pairs of cranial nerves extending from the brain and the 31 pairs of peripheral spinal nerves extending outward from the spinal cord. The function of the peripheral nervous system is to transmit nerve signals to and from the central nervous system.

ganglion

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

network of intersecting spinal nerves; also describes network of intersecting blood or lympatic vessels

receptors

sites in the sensory organs that recieve external stimulation; send stimuls through the sensroy neurons the the brain for interpretations

stimulus

anyting that excites a nerve and causes an impulse

reflex

automatic involuntary response to some change, either inside or outside the body,

ex: change in heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure, coughing and sneezing, responses to painful stimuli, deep tendon reflexes

neurons

basic cells of the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with eac hother

dendrites

root like processes that receive impulses and conduct them to the cell body; a process is a structure that extends out from the cell body

axon

process that conducts impulses away from the nerve cell; can be more than 3 feet long, protected by myelin sheath

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 2 neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ; single neuron can have few or severla hundred synapses

acetylcholine

released at some synapses in the spinal cord and at neuromuscular junctions; it influences muscle action

dopamine

released within the brain an d plays a role in motivation, pleasure, and muscle movement; excess can be associated with schizophrenia, mood and thought disorders, abnormal movement disorders such as parkinson’s disease

endorphins

naturally occurring substances that are produced by the brain to help relieve pain

norepinephrine

alertness and arousal, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, releasing stores of glucose in response to stress; also hormone released by

serotonin

released in brain, has roles in sleep, hunger, and pleasure recognition, also linked to mood disorders

glial cells

provide support and protection for neurons; 4 main functions…

1. surround neurons and hold them in place

2. supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons

3. insulate one neuron from another

4. destroy and remove dead neurons

myelin sheath

protective covering made up of glial cells

arachnoid membrane

second layer of the meninges, located between the dura mater and the pia mater; looks like spider web

pia mater

3rd layer of the meninges; located nearest to the brain and spinal cord; consists of delicate connective tissue that contains a rich supply of blood vessels

cerebrospinal fluid

produced by special capillaries within the four ventricles located in the middle region of the cerebrum; clear, colorless, watery fluid that flows throughout the brain and around the spinal cord

• cool and cushion organs from shock or injury

• nourish the brain and spinal cord by transporting

cerebral cortex

made up of gray matter; 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

cerebral hemispheres

• left cerebral hemisphere: controls the majority of functions on the right side of the body. An injury to the left hemisphere 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. An injury to the right hemisphere produces sensory and motor deficits on the left side of the body.