10. Nervous System Flashcards
Brain disorder marked by deterioration of mental capacity.
Alzheimer’s disease
Damage to the blood vessels of the cerebrum, leading to loss of blood supply to brain tissue; a stroke
Cerebrovascular accident
Blunt injury to the brain severe enough to cause loss of consciousness
Concussion
Chronic brain disorder characterized by recurrent seizure activity
Epilepsy
Malignant brain tumour arising from glial cells.
Glioblastoma
Paralysis that affects the right or left half of the body
Hemiplasia
Inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord
Meningitis
Destruction of the myelin sheat on the nerve cells in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord), with replacement by plaques of sclerotic (hard) tissue
Multiple Sclerosis
Paralysis that affects the lower portion of the body
Paraplegia
Fainting; sudden and temporary loss of consciousness as a result of inadequate flow of blood to the brain
Syncope
Pressure of CSF is measured and contrast may be injected for imaging after removal of CSF from a space between the lumbar vertebrae. This also provides a sample of CSF for analysis.
Lumbar Puncture
Chemical tests (for Na, Cl, Protein and glucose), cell counts, cultures and bacterial smears on CSF samples to detect diseases of the brain or meninges.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis
Cerebral Angiography
X-ray imaging of the blood vessels in the brain after injection of contrast material in an artery
PET scan
Positron emission tomography.
Radioactive material into the brain shows how the brain uses glucose and gives information about brain function
AD
Alzheimer disease
CNS
Central nervous system
CVA
Cerebrovascular accident
stroke
CSF
Cerebrospinal fluid
EEG
Elecroencephalography
LP
Lumbar puncture
MS
Multiple Sclerosis
TIA
Transient Ischemic Attack (temporary interference with blood supply to the brain)
Two major divisions of the nervous system
Central nervous system
Peripheral nervous system
Two components of the CNS
brain
spinal cord
the components of the PNS
cranial nerves, spinal nerves, plexuses and the peripheral nerves throughout the body
Vagus nerve
Tenth cranial nerve that carries messages to and from the neck, chest and abdomen.
Plexus
A large network of nerves in the peripheral nervous system.
Sensory (afferent) nerves
Carry messages toward the spinal cord and brain
Motor (efferent) nerves
travel from the spinal cord and brain to the muscles of the body, telling them how to respond.
Autonomic nervous system
Nerves that control involuntary body functions of muscles, glands and internal organs.