The Nervous System

neur/i and neur/o

nerve, nerve tissue

sensory organs and receptors

receive external stimulation and transmit these stimuli to the sensory neurons

caus/o

burning, burn

cerebr/o

cerebrum, brain

concuss/o

shaken together, violently agitated

contus/o

bruise

cephal/o

head

crani/o

cranium, skull

encephal/o

brain

-esthesia

sensation, feeling

esthet/o

feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception

mening/o

membranes, meninges

myel/o

spinal cord, bone marrow

-phasia

speak, speech

radicul/o

root, nerve root

-tropic

having an affinity for

Alzheimer’s disease (AD)

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

amnesia

a memory disturbance characterized by a total or partial inability to recall past experiences

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles

anesthesiologist

a physician who specializes in administering anesthetis agents before and during surgery

anesthetic

the medication used to induce anesthesia

anesthetist

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

Bell’s palsy

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

carotid ultrasonography

an ultrasound study of the carotid artery

causalgia

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

central nervous system

is made up of the brain and spinal cord

cerebral contusion

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

cerebral palsy (CP)

is a group of disorders characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, speech defects, and other neurologic defiencies due to damage that affects the cerebrum

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

commonly known as a stroke, occurs when blood flow to the brai is disrupted because a blood vessel either is blocked or has ruptured

cervical radiculopathy

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

cognition

the mental activites associated with thinking, learning, and memory

coma

a profound state of unconsciousness marked by the movements, no response to painful 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

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

dementia

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

dura mater

the thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges; it surrounds the brain and spinal cord, providing protection and stability

dura

means hard

mater

means mother

dyslexia

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

electroencephalography (EEG)

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

encephalitis

an inflammation of the brain, can be caused by a viral infection such as rabies

epidural anesthesia

regional anesthesia produced by injecting medication into the epidural space of the lumber or sacral region of the spine

epilepsy

a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures of varying severity

ganglion

a nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous sytem

hallucination

a sensory perception experienced in the absence of external stimulation

hemorrhagic stroke

also known as a bleed, occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks

hydrocephalus

a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain

hyperesthesia

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

ischemic stroke

the most common type of stroke in older people, 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

is an inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord

meningocele

the congenital herniation of the meninges througha defect in the skull or spinal column

migraine headache

which may be preceded by a warning aura, is characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head

multiple sclerosis (MS)

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

myelin sheath

the protective covering made up of glial cells

myelitis

an inflammation of the spinal cord and/or bone marrow

myelography

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

neurologist

a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the nervous system

neurons

the basic cells on the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with each other

neurotransmitters

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

paresthesia

a 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 other parts of the body

Parkinson’s disease (PD)

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

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

peripheral neuropathy

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

Reye’s syndrome (RS)

is a serious and potentially deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion

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 through the thigh, the leg, and sometimes into the foot

seizure (Sz)

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

shaken baby syndrome

describes the results of a child being violently shaken by someone

spinal cord

a lond, fragile, tube-like structure that begins at the end of th brainstem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spinal column

syncope

also known as fainting, is the brief loss of consciousness caused by decreased flow of blood to the brain

tetanus

also known as lockjaw, is an acute and potentially fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria

Tourette syndrome (TS)

is a complex neurological disorder characterized by involuntary tics, grunts, and compulsive utterences that sometimes include abscenities

transient ischemic attack (TIA)

sometimes reffered to as a mini-stroke, is the temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain

tremor

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

trigeminal neuralgia

a chronic pain condition characterized by severe, lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve

unconscious

a state of being unaware and unable to respond to any stimuli, including pain

nerve

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

tract

a 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

innervation

means the supply of nerves to a specific body part

plexus

is a network of intersecting spinal nerves

receptors

are sites in the sensory organs that receive external stimulation; send the stimulus through the sensory vessels

stimulus

is anything that excites a nerve and causes an impulse

impulse

is a wave of excitation transmitted through nerve fibers and neurons

reflex

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

brain waves

are electrical impulses in the brain that result from neuronal activity, reflecting mental states and activity levels

A-C-E

Afferent neurons - connecting neurons - efferent neurons

S-A-M

Sensory neurons - associative neurons - motor neurons

afferent

means toward

efferent

means away from

sensory neurons

these neurons emerge from sensory organs and the skin to carry the impulses from the sensory organs toward the brain and spinal cord

associative neurons

these neurons link afferent and efferent neurons

motor neurons

these neurons carry impulses away from the brain and spinal cord and toward the muscles and glands

dendrites

are the root-like processes that receive impulses and conduct them to the cell body

axon

is a process that conducts impulses away from the nerve cell; can be more than 3 feet long and many are protected by a myelin sheath

terminal end fibers

are the branching fibers at the end of the axon that lead the nerve impulse from the axon to the synapse

synapse

is the space between two neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ

Acetylcholine

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