Chapter 13: The Nervous System and Mental Health

cephal/o

head

cerebell/o

little brain, cerebellum

cerebr/o

brain, cranium

encephal/o

brain

gangli/o

swelling, knot

mening/I, meaning/o

membrane

myel/o

spinal cord, medulla, myelin

neur/o

nerve

phren/o, psych/o

mind

redic/o, radicul/o

nerve root

vag/o

vagus nerve

ventricul/o

little belly, ventricle

nervous system

complex part of the body, composed of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves

nervous tissue

tissue that makes up the brain, spinal cord and nerves

blood- brain barrier

keeps most bacteria, harmful cells, and many toxins from entering the nervous system

aphasia

inability to speak

dysphasia

speech difficulty

cephalalgia

clinical term for headache

convulsion

seizure, series of involuntary muscular spasms caused by an uncoordinated excitation of motor neurons that triggers muscle contraction

hyperalgesia

excessive sensitivity to painful stimuli

hypoalgesia

deficient sensitivity to normally painful stimuli

hyperesthesia

excessive sensitivity to a stimulus, such as touch, sound or pain

neuralgia

condition of pain in a nerve

neurasthenia

weakness of the nerve

paresthesia

abnormal sensation of numbness and tingling caused by an injury to one or more nerves

polyneuralgia

condition of pain in many nerves

syncope

temporary loss of consciousness use to a sudden reduction of blood flow to the brain

agnosia

disorder of the loss of the ability to interpret sensory information

Alzheimer’s disease (AD)

individuals over the age of 40, the brain undergoes gradual deterioration resulting in confusion, short term memory loss, restlessness, and cognitive losses

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

disease characterized by the progressive atrophy (loss) and muscle caused by hardening of nervous tissue on the lateral columns of the spinal cord

autism

disease of self, developmental disorder that varies in its severity with the patient, characterized by withdrawal from outward reality and impaired development in social conduct and communication

Bell’s palsy

patient suffers from paralysis of the face muscles on one side due to damage to the seventh cranial nerve (CN VII)

cerebellitis

inflammation of the cerebellum

cerebral aneurysm

attacks arteries channeling blood to the brain, placing the brain at great risk of the damage that would result from a burst aneurysm

cerebral atherosclerosis

affects arteries supplying the brain, vessels gradually close due to the accumulation of fatty plaques

cerebral embolism

moving blood clot in an artery of the brain

cerebral thrombosis

condition of a stationary blood clot in an artery of the brain

cerebral hemorrhage

condition of bleeding from blood vessels associated with the cerebrum

cerebral palsy

condition that appears at birth or shortly afterward as a partial muscle paralysis

cerebrovascular accident

clinical term for stroke, occurs when the blood supply to the brain is reduced or cut off, resulting in irreversible death of the brain cells followed by losses of mental function or death

coma

general term describing several levels of abnormally decreased consciousness

concussion

injury to soft tissue resulting from a blow or violent shaking

cerebral concussion

cerebrum undergoes physical damage when it strikes against the inside wall of the cranium

traumatic brain injury (TBI)

severe brain injury which often includes bleeding that can result in functional losses and death

encephalitis

inflammation of the brain, usually caused by bacterial or viral infection, is life-threatening.

encephalomalacia

softening of the brain tissue, usually caused by deficient blood flow to the brain

epilepsy

chronic brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, including convulsions and temporary loss of consciousness

glioma

neoplasm (tumor) of glial cells, becomes life threatening when it crowds out functional neurons

hydrocephalus

head water, usually caused by a blockage or narrowing of one of more channels inside the brain that transport cerebrospinal fluid between the brain ventricles

meningioma

benign tumor of the meninges usually arising from the arachnoid mater and occuring within the superior sagittal sinus on top of the brain

meningitis

inflammation of the meninges

meningocele

protrusion of the meninges

meningomyelocele

protrusion of the meninges and spinal cord through a defective opening in the spinal column

multiple sclerosis

disease characterized by the deterioration of the myelin sheaths covering axons within the brain

myelitis

inflammation of the spinal cord

narcolepsy

sleep disorder characterized by sudden uncontrollable episodes of sleep, attacks of paralysis and hypnagogic hallucinations

neuritis

inflammation of a nerve

polyneuritis

inflammation of many nerves

neuroma

tumor originating from a neuron

neuropathy

damage to peripheral nerves due to any cause

polyneuropathy

results from a reduction of blood flow to symptoms of pain, tingling, and numbness and can lead to limb amputation

paraplegia

muscles of the legs and lower body are paralyzed

hemiplegia

paralysis of one arm and one leg on one side of the body

quadriplegia

paralysis from the neck down including all four limbs

monoplegia

paralysis of one limb

Parkinson’s disease

chronic, progressive degenerative disease of the brain characterized by tremors, rigidity, and shuffling gait

poliomyelitis

inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord, caused by one of several viruses belonging to the family poliovirus

ventriculitis

condition of inflammation of the ventricles of the brain

analgesic

pertaining to without pain, examples are aspirin, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen

anesthesia

primary type of pain management in surgery, without the condition of sensation

anesthetist

trained specialist to administer the anesthesia

cerebral angiography

diagnostic procedure that revels blood flow to the brain by x-ray photography

computed tomography (CT scan)

procedure involving the use of a computer to interpret a series of x-ray images and construct from a 3D view of the brain

craniectomy

surgical removal of part of the body cranium

craniotomy

incision is made through the cranium to provide surgical access to the brain

echoencephalography

ultrasound technology is used to record brain structures in the search for abnormalities

effectual drug therapy

general type of treatment to manage neurological disorders

electroencephalography (EEG)

diagnostic procedure that records electrical impulses of the brain to measure brain activity

epidural

injection into of a spinal block anesthesia into the epidural space external to the spinal cord

evoked potential studies (EP studies)

group of diagnostic tests that measures changes in brain waves during particular stimuli to determine brain function

ganglionectomy

surgical removal of a ganglion

lumbar puncture

withdrawal of CSF from the subarachnoid space in the lumbar region of the vertebral column

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

powerful magnets are used to observe soft tissues in the body, including the brain

myelogram

x-ray photograph of the spinal cord following injection of a contrast dye

neurectomy

surgical removal of a nerve

neurology

study and medical practice of the nervous system

neurologist

physician who specializes in neurology

neurolysis

procedure of separating a nerve by removing unwanted adhesions

neuroplasty

surgical repair of the nerve

neurorrhaphy

suture of a nerve

neurotomy

incision into a nerve

position emission tomography (PET scan)

scan using a radioactive chemical to provide a map of metabolically active cells within the brain

psychiatry

branch of medicine that addresses disorders of the brain resulting in mental, emotional and behavioral disturbances

psychology

study of human behavior

psychotherapy

treats patients suffering from behavioral disorders and emotional trauma

radioctomy

incision into a nerve root

reflex testing

series of diagnostic tests performed to observe the body’s response to touch stimuli

tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)

treatment for stroke, powerful chemical that dissolves blood clots in vessels supplying the brain

vagotomy

several branches of the vagus nerve are severed to reduce acid secretion into the stomach to help prevent the recurrence of peptic ulcer

anxiety disorder

mental state dominates behavior