Nervous System Disorders - 2/6

analgesia

loss or reduction in the ability to sense pain but without loss of consciousness

analgesic

pain-relieving drug

anesthesia

loss of feeling

aphasia

disturbance or loss of the ability to use words or to understand them, usually due to damage to cerebral association areas

apraxia

impairment in the ability to use objects

ataxia

partial or complete inability to coordinate voluntary movements

cerebral palsy

partial paralysis and lack of muscular coordination caused by damage to the cerebrum

coma

unconscious condition in which a person does not respond to stimulation

cordotomy

surgical procedure that severs a nerve tract within the spinal cord to relieve intractable pain

craniotomy

surgical procedure that opens part of the skull

electroencephalogram (EEG)

recording of the brain’s electrical activity

encephalitis

inflammation of the brain and meninges, producing drowsiness and apathy

epilepsy

disorder of the CNS that temporarily disturbs brain impulses, producing convulsive seizures and loss of consciousness

hemiplegia

paralysis of one side of the body and the limbs on that side

huntington disease

inherited disorder of the rain causing involuntary, dancelike movements and personality changes

laminectomy

surgical removal of the posterior arch of a vertebra, usually to relieve symptoms of a ruptured intervertebral disc pressing on a spinal nerve

monoplegia

paralysis of a single limb

multiple sclerosis

loss of myelin and the appearance of scar like patches throughout the brain or spinal cord or both

neuralgia

sharp, recurring pain associated with a nerve; usually caused by inflammation or injury

neuritis

inflammation of a nerve

paraplegia

paralysis of both lower limbs

quadriplegia

paralysis of all four limbs

vagotomy

surgical severing of a vagus nerve- for example, to reduce acid secretion in a patient with ulcers non-responsive to other treatment