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| main (largest) portion of the brain, occupying the upper part of the cranial cavity; its two hemispheres, united by the corpus callosum, form the largest part of the CNS in humans |
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| situated on the back of the brain stem; consisting of a median lobe (vermis) and two lateral lobes (the hemispheres) |
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| the stemlike portion of the brain connecting the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord and comprising the pons, medulla oblongata, and midbrain |
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| located between the cerebrum and midbrain, it contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pineal glands. Involved in controlling body temperature, sleep, appetite, blood pressure, and sexual activity |
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| the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord: dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater |
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| the outermost, toughest of the three meninges (membranes) of the brain and spinal cord |
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| the delicate membrane interposed between the dura mater and the pia mater |
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| the innermost of the three meninges covering the brain and spinal cord |
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| fluid within the ventricles of the brain, the subarachnoid space, and the central canal |
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| muscles of the eye turning the eye outward |
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| muscles of the face, ears, and scalp |
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| pertaining to the ear or the sense of hearing |
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| pertaining to the tongue and phaynx |
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| the part of the autonomic nervous system assisting the body in emergencies, defense, and survival |
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| the part of the autonomic nervous system bringing body functions back to normal after a stressful situation has ended |
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| secondary to infection in the body, e.g., ear, sinuses |
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| Alzheimer's Disease (Presenile Dementia) |
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| characterized by confusion, restlessness, agnosia, speech disturbances, inability to carry out purposeful movements, and hallucinations. The disease usually begins in later midlife with sight defects in memory and behavior and occurs with equal frequency in men and women. The cause is unknown |
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| Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) |
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| progressive degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons; usually fatal |
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| congenital absence of the brain; death occurs in 1-2 days |
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| unilateral facial paralysis of sudden onset caused by lesion of the facial nerve; facial distortion |
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| the disorder is largely due to repetitive overuse of the fingers, hands, or wrists, which cause inflammation of the median nerve in the tunnel. Symptoms are intermittent or continuous pain, especially at night. Treatment involves anti-inflammatory drugs, splints, physical therapy, and ceasing the overuse. If these measures fail, surgical measures to relieve the pressure may be necessary |
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| paralysis from developmental defects or trauma; many symptoms; appearing before age 3, caused by nonprogressive damage to the brain |
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| Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) |
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Definition
| a decerease in blood flow supply to the brain, causing death to the specific portion of the brain tissue affected. The three types of CVA are hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when a cerebral vessel ruptures, thrombotic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot in the arteries leading to the brain becomes occluded (blocked), and embolic stroke, which occurs when an embolus (fragment of blood clot, fat, bacteria, or tumor) lodges in a cerebral vessel and causes occlusion |
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| a violent blow to the head; there may or may not be a loss of consciousness |
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| an involuntary contraction or series of contractions of the voluntary muscles; sudden disturbances in mental functions and body movements, some with loss of consciousness |
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| inflammation of the brain |
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| seizure disorder; cause usually known; symptoms can be managed with medication |
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| a break in the bones of the skull; cause can be injury, gunshot wounds |
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| also called tonic-clonic seizures; characterized by a sudden loss of consciousness, falling down, and involuntary muscle contractions. Often preceded by an aura, a peculiar sensation such as visual disturbance, numbness, or dizziness, which appears just before more definite symptoms |
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| blood "tumor" (clot); must be removed if large enough to cause pressure on brain |
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| "shingles"; an acute inflammatory disease of cerebral or spinal nerve due to viral infection; common in the elderly |
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| "water on the brain"; a congenital or acquired condition marked by dilation of the cerebral ventricles accompanied by an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the skull. Typically, there is enlargement of the head, prominence of the forehead, mental deterioration, and convulsions |
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| ceaseless occurrence of rapid, jerky, involuntary movements; hereditary disease marked by chronic progressive chorea and mental deterioration |
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| an alcoholic psychosis with disorientation, progressing to complete amnesia |
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| inflammation of the meninges caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infection |
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| hernial protrusion of the meninges through a bone defect in the cranium or vertebral column; may be repaired surgically |
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| brain and cord contain areas of degenerated myelin. Symptoms of lesions include weakness, incoordination, speech disturbances, and visual complaints |
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| a progressive neuromuscular disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and muscle weakness; considered to be an autoimmune disease. Antibodies block and destroy receptors at the myoneural junction because of a deficiency of acetylcholine. The onset of symptoms is gradual, with drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and weakness of the facial muscles. The weakness may then extend to other muscles enervated by cranial nerves, especially the respiratory muscles. the weakness may then extend to other muscles enervated by cranial nerves, especially the respiratory muscles. The disease occurs more often in women than men, with onset between ages 20-40, and in older men more often than in younger men. Onset is between ages 50 and 60 |
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| disease of cranial and peripheral nervous system; motor, sensory, and reflex impairment |
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| any mental disorder caused by impairment of brain tissue function; may be acute and reversible, caused by injury, infection, and nutritional deficiency, or chronic, resulting from relatively permanent organic impairment of brain tissue function |
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| a slowly progressive, degenerative, neurologic disorder characterized by resting tremor |
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| also called absence seizure, the petit mal is a minor seizure lasting only a few seconds. The person has a momentary clouding of consciousness, may have a blank facial expression, and blink their eyes rapidly. The duration of the seizure is 5-10 s. The individual may not be aware of the episode. It is more frequent in children |
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| an acute viral disease with fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, and often stiffness of the neck and back; may be minor or major; can be prevented by vaccination |
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| severe pain in the leg along the course of the sciatic nerve; also pain radiating into the buttock and lower limb, most commonly caused by herniation of the lumbar disk |
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| to bypass, e.g., using a catheter to drain fluid from brain cavities to the spinal cord |
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| a traumatic disruption of the spinal cord, with extensive musculoskeletal involvement. Spinal fractures and dislocations are common in car accidents and airplane crashes and can cause varying degrees of paraplegia and quadriplegia |
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| the blood is usually a result of a closed head injury, acceleration-deceleration injury, use of anticoagulants, contusions, or chronic alcoholism. They are largely a result of venous bleeding. An acute subdural hematoma can occur within minutes or hours following an injury; a chronic subdural hemaoma takes weeks to months to evolve. Symptoms include drowsiness, headache, confusion, possible seizure, and signs of ICP and paralysis. Treatment involves surgical evacuation of the blood. In acute subdurals, it may be removed through bur holes in the skull, but chronic ones require a craniotomy because the blood has solidified and cannot be aspirated through bur holes |
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| an inherited inborn error of metabolism in which there is an enzyme deficiency causing altered lipid metabolism. Deficiency of the enzyme results in accumulation of a specific lipid in the brain, which leads to physical and mental retardation. It is a progressive disorder, marked by degeneration of brain tissue, dementia, convulsions, paralysis, blindness, and death. The symptoms begin around 6 months of age. Death occurs between 2 and 4 years of age. It is possible to test for the disease in the unborn fetus through amniocentesis. No therapy is available for the disease. Supportive and symptomatic care is indicated. |
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| benign or malignant, promary or metastatic; may be classified by location, tissue types, or degree of malignancy, e.g., glimas, neuromas |
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| a popular term for an acute cervical sprain; acceleration extension injury of the cervical spine |
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| Angiogram (Arteriogram), Cerebral |
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Definition
| a radiopaque substance is injected into arteries in the neck, then x-ray films are taken |
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| reflex response; when sole of the foot is stroked, the big toe turns up instead of down (normal in newborn, but pathologic later on) |
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| holes made with a drill creating openings in bone to permit access for biopsy, insertion of drains for relieving pressure, or for monitoring devices |
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| Computerized Tomography (CT) Brain Scan. Also Called CAT Scan |
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| three-dimensional view of brain tissue obtained as x-ray beams pass through layers of the brain. Contrast medium may also be injected IV to better visualize abnormalities. CT scan will show areas of tumors, hemorrhage, blood clots, aneurysms, MS, and brain abscess |
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| cutting of nerve fibers to relieve intractable pain |
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| any operation of the cranium, e.g., puncture of the skull and removal of its contents to decrease the size of the head of a dead fetus and aid in delivery |
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| use of ultrasound to show displacement of brain structures |
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| Electroencephalogram (EKG) |
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| record of electrical activity of the brain |
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| examination of cerebrospinal fluid (cell counts, culture, blood) |
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| excision of the posterior arch of a vertebra to view the spinal cord or to relieve pressure |
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| a surgical interruption of part of the sympathetic nerve pathways, performed for the relief of chronic pain in vascular disease, such as arteriosclerosis, claudication, and so on |
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| Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) |
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| noninvasive technique using magnetic waves to create an image of the brain. The MRI is far more precise and accurate than most diagnostic tools. It provides visualization of fluids, soft tissue, and bony structures. MRI and CT are used to complement each other in diagnosing brain and spinal cord lesions. Persons with any implanted metal devices such as a pacemaker, prosthesis, etc. cannot undergo MRI because the strong magnetic field will dislodge them |
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| the film produced by myelography, e.g. injection of a dye into the subarachnoid space to detect tumors or herniated disks |
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| injection of anesthetic into a nerve to produce the loss of sensation |
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| conduction cells of the nervous system, consisting of a cell body containing the nucleus and its surrounding cytoplasm, and the axon and dendrites; specialized cells for transmitting impulses |
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| Pneumoencephalogram (PEG) |
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| the radiograph obtained by visualization of the fluid-containing structures of the brain after cerebrospinal fluid is intermittently withdrawn by lumbar puncture and replaced by air, oxygen, or helium |
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| Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan |
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| images of various structures show how the brain uses glucose and gives information about brain function. PET scans are used to assess Alzheimer's, stroke, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, as well as study and diagnose brain tumors |
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| cutting the roots of spinal nerves to relieve incurable pain |
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| a test of the sense of balance, e.g., the patient may lose balance when standing erect, feet together, and eyes closed |
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| drilling a hole in the skull to evacuate clots or inject air for a diagnostic procedure |
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| surgical transection of the fibers of the vagus nerve |
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| radiography of the cerebral ventricles after introduction of air or other contrast medium |
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| the feeling experienced in connection with an emotion |
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| hostile attitude; may be due to insecurity or inferiority feeling |
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| conflicting emotional attitudes toward a goal, e.g., hate and love |
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| complete withdrawal; inability to communicate |
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| excessive violent motor activity or lack of reaction and movement; observed in schizophrenia |
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| a mental disturbance of relatively short duration, e.g., illusions, hallucinations, and excitement |
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| in psychiatry, a morbid sadness, dejection, or melancholy; a decrease of body functions |
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| automatic repetition by a patient of what is said to him or her |
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| Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT, EST) |
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| introducing convulsions by means of electricity; used on patients with affective disorders |
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| hearing or seeing things not really present |
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| extremely emotional state |
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| mental illness in late middle life, with agitation, worry, anxiety, and insomnia |
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| make believe, e.g., pretending to be ill |
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| major psychosis; fluctuation of behavior between mania and depression; also called bipolar disorder |
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| belief in one's own extreme greatness, goodness, or power |
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| a stage in the recover from a schizophrenic experience during which the patient is listless and apparently unable to cope with routine activities and relationships |
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| an emotional disorder caused by unresolved conflicts, anxiety being its chief characteristic; person is still in touch with reality |
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| a person who is overly suspicious (in trends or attitudes) |
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| any persistent abnormal dread or fear |
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| a major mental disorder, with personality derangement and loss of contact with reality |
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| occur during periods of dreaming |
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| any of a group of severe emotional disorders characterized by withdrawal from reality, delusions, hallucinations, ambivalence, inappropriate affect, and withdrawn, bizarre, and regressive behavior |
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| loss of the ability to speak owing to injury or disease of the brain centers |
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| failure of muscular coordination |
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| the process of furnishing a person with information on the state of one or more physiologic variables, such as heart rate, blood pressure, or skin temperature, often enabling the person to gain some voluntary control over the body function |
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| the collection of spinal roots descending from the lower spinal cord and supplying the rectal area |
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| in a deep stupor; cannot be aroused |
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| denoting an injury to the brain, occurring at a site opposite to the point of impact |
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| a reflex elicited by a sharp tap on the appropriate tendon or muscle to induce brief stretch of the muscle, followed by contraction |
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| many meanings; one refers to a deep furrow in the brain |
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| weak, lax, soft, flabby; poor muscle tone |
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| a large opening in the occipital bone through which the cord passes |
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| a knot. A group of nerve cell bodies, located outside the central nervous system |
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| convolutions of the cerebrum |
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| situated on or affecting the same side |
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| the part of the brain associated with attitudes and emotional behavior |
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| an instrument for measuring the pressure, e.g., of spinal fluid |
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| white, liquid, fatty substance surrounding some nerve fibers (white matter) |
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| Neurilemma (Sheath of Schwann) |
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| the membrane surrounding the peripheral nerves |
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| inability to use muscles because of damage to the nervous system |
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| slight or incomplete paralysis |
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| an abnormal sensation, such as burning or prickling |
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| a network of nerves or blood vessels |
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| an involuntary response to a stimulus |
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| uncontrollable and forced contractions |
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| any agent, act, or influence that produces a reaction or response |
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| a groove, trench, or furrow on the brain surface |
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| a faint; temporary loss of consciousness |
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| a small cavity in the brain |
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