Ch 15 Definitions: Neuropsychology Flashcards
neuropsychology
a specialty field within clinical psychology that understands and treats neurocognitive disorders
neuropsychologist
a licensed doctoral level clinical psychologist who undergoes additional training in the neurosciences
neurocognitive disorder
a disorder characterized by
a decline in function in cognition following a known challenge to the nervous system
Alzheimer’s disease
an age-related neurocognitive disorder resulting in gradual loss and of cognitive function
dementia
a loss of normal cognitive and emotional function
neurofibrillary tangles
abnormal structures resulting from the breakdown of microtubules in Alzheimer’s disease
beta amyloid
the misfolded protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease
amyloid plaque
abnormal patches on cells formed by amyloid that disrupt normal function
stroke
a type of brain damage caused by an interruption of the blood supply to the brain
cerebral hemorrhage
a condition caused by bleeding in the brain
aneurysm
a balloon-like bulge in the wall of the artery
ischemia
a condition in which inadequate blood flow results in insufficient quantities of oxygen being delivered to tissue
infarct
an area of dead tissue
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
a brief episode (24 hours or less) of stroke symptoms that does not cause permanent damage
thrombosis
a blockage that doesn’t move from its point of origin in a blood vessel
embolism
a blood vessel blockage that originated elsewhere and traveled to its current location
penumbra
the area of tissue surrounding an infarct
traumatic brain injury (TBI)
physical damage to the brain
open head injury
a head injury in which the brain is penetrated,
as in a gunshot wound
concussion
a head injury that results from a blow to the head without penetration of the brain or from a blow to another part of the body that results in force transmitted to the brain
coup
an area of brain damage at the site of the blow to the head
countercoup
an area of brain damage that occurs on the opposite side of the head from the original site of the blow, or coup
subdural hematoma
a mass of clotted blood (like a bruise) that forms between the dura mater and arachnoid layers of the meninges following a head injury
neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury
a set of symptoms that follow concussion for a period of days to years, including headache, cognitive deficits, and emotional changes
dementia pugilistica
a severe form of TBI often experienced by boxers
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder (HAND)
neurocognitive symptoms that result from the HIV virus itself or from opportunistic infections
transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE)
a disease that can be transferred from one animal to another and that
produces a fatal, degenerative condition
characterized by dementia and motor disturbance
bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE)
a form of TSE that primarily affects cattle;
mad-cow disease
prion
a protein particle that lacks nucleic acid
and is believed to be responsible for TSEs
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD)
a human TSE that results in a progressively degenerative condition characterized by disordered movement and cognition
kuru
a human TSE identified among the Fore of New Guinea, related to their practice of cannibalism
new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD)
a human TSE resembling classic CJD that results from consumption of beef products contaminated by BSE
tumor
an independent growth of tissue that lacks purpose
malignant tumor
a type of abnormal cell growth that, lacking boundaries, invades the surrounding tissue and is very likely to recur following surgical removal
metastasis
the migration of cancerous cells from one part of the body to another
benign tumor
an abnormal cell growth that develops within its own membrane and is unlikely to recur following surgery to remove it
glioma
a tumor that develops from glial cells
meningioma
a tumor arising from tissue of the meninges
neurocysticercosis
a condition characterized by brain cysts resulting from a parasitic infection by the pork tapeworm (T. solium)
encephalitis
a condition characterized by inflammation of the brain
seizure
an uncontrollable electrical disturbance in the brain
epilepsy
a disorder characterized by repeated, unprovoked seizure activity in the brain
partial seizure
a seizure that has a clear area of origin, or focus
generalized seizure
a seizure that affects the brain symmetrically without a clear point of origin
aura
a subjective sensory or motor sensation that signals the onset of a seizure or migraine
simple partial seizure
a seizure with symptoms that relate to the functions of the focal area
Jacksonian seizure
a type of simple partial seizure originating in the motor cortex
Jacksonian march
during some simple partial seizures, the progression of convulsions or twitches from body part to body part related to the organization of the primary motor cortex
complex partial seizures
a type of partial seizure originating in the temporal lobes
paroxysmal depolarizing shift (PDS)
a characteristic electrical pattern that occurs in neurons within a focus during a partial seizure
tonic-clonic seizure
a generalized seizure that results in violent convulsions
AKA “grand mal seizure”
absence seizure
a mild type of generalized seizure in which the patient experiences a brief period of unconsciousness
AKA “petit mal seizure”
tonic phase
the initial stage of a tonic-clonic seizure, in which the patient experiences a loss of consciousness, cessation of breathing, and muscular contraction
clonic phase
the second phase of a tonic-clonic seizure, characterized by
violent, repetitious muscle contractions
coma
a deep, prolonged period of unconsciousness from which the person cannot be awakened
multiple sclerosis (MS)
an autoimmune disorder that targets the CNS,
resulting in demyelination and damage to axons
migraine
a genetically related condition, usually featuring a severe form of headache, nausea, and sensory distortions
trigeminal vascular system
the network formed by the trigeminal nerves, meninges, and blood vessels believed to participate in migraine headaches
calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)
a peptide neurochemical released by the trigeminal nerve that might participate in the production of migraine headaches
triptan
one of a new class of highly specific serotonin agonists used to treat migraine headache
reactive neuroplasticity
spontaneous, short-term recovery from neural damage
resulting from the development of new neurons, axons, dendrites, or synapses
experience-dependent neuroplasticity
longer-term recovery from neural damage
due to learning
Kennard Principle
the hypothesis suggesting that brain reorganization is a function of developmental age
cognitive reserve
a proposed basis for individual differences in resilience
in the face of brain injury
either due to brain size, synapse number, or flexible use of cognitive networks
