Chapter 14 - Nervous System Disorders

Question 1

amnesia

Answer 1

Inability to remember events for a period of time, often due to brain injury, illness, or the effects of drugs or alcohol.

Question 2

anencephaly

Answer 2

a serious birth defect in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull

Question 3

anomaly, anomalous

Answer 3

1. something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified
2. deviation from the common rule: IRREGULARITY
3. the angular distance of a planet from its perihelion as seen from the sun

Question 4

aphelion vs perihelion

Answer 4

aphelion: the point farthest from the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body (such as a planet)
perihelion: the point nearest to the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body (such as a planet)

Question 5

angular distance

Answer 5

(also known as angular separation, apparent distance, or apparent separation)
the angle between the two sightlines, or between two point objects as viewed from an observer

Question 6

sightline

Answer 6

(also called sight line, visual axis, or line of sight)
an imaginary line between a viewer/observer/spectator’s eye(s) and a subject of interest.

The term “line” typically presumes that the light by which the observed object is seen travels as a straight ray, which is sometimes not the case as light can take a curved/angulated path when reflected from a mirror, refracted by a lens or density changes in the traversed media, or deflected by a gravitational field.

The subject may be any definable object taken note of or to be taken note of by the observer, but some fields of study feature specific targets, such as vessels in navigation, marker flags or natural features in surveying, celestial objects in astronomy, and so on. To have optimal observational outcome, it is preferable to have a completely unobstructed sightline.

Question 7

aphasia

Answer 7

loss or impairment of the power to use or comprehend language usually resulting from brain damage (as from a stroke, head injury, or infection)

aphasia sometimes can be used to mean more severe than dysphasia, i.e. aphasia is complete loss

Question 8

athetosis, athetoid

Answer 8

a nervous disorder that is marked by continual slow movements especially of the extremities and is usually due to a brain lesion

Question 9

atresia

Answer 9

a condition in which an orifice or passage in the body is (usually abnormally) closed or absent

Question 10

aura

Answer 10

1. a distinctive atmosphere surrounding a given source
2. a subtle sensory stimulus (such as an aroma)
3. medical : a subjective sensation (as of voices, colored lights, or crawling and numbness) experienced at the onset of a neurological condition and especially a migraine or epileptic seizure
4. an energy field that is held to emanate from a living being
5. a luminous radiation: NIMBUS

Question 11

nimbus

Answer 11

1. a cloud, aura, atmosphere, etc., surrounding a person or thing
2. an indication (such as a circle) of radiant light or glory about the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign
3. a rain cloud

Question 12

bifurcation, bifurcate, bifurcating

Answer 12

1. the point or area at which something divides into two branches or parts
2. the state of being divided into two branches or parts

Question 13

Broca’s area

Answer 13

a brain center associated with the motor control of speech and usually located in the left side of the frontal lobe

Question 14

catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor

Answer 14

a drug that inhibits the enzyme catechol-O-methyltransferase

used to treat Parkinson’s disease

Question 15

catechol-O-methyltransferase

Answer 15

one of several enzymes that degrade catecholamines (neurotransmitters such as dopamine, epinephrine, and norepinephrine)

Question 16

choreiform

Answer 16

resembling or characteristic of chorea

Question 17

chorea

Answer 17

A movement disorder that causes involuntary, irregular, unpredictable muscle movements. The disorder can make you look like you’re dancing (the word chorea comes from the Greek word for “dance”) or look restless or fidgety. Chorea is a movement problem that occurs in many different diseases and conditions.

Question 18

dysphasia

Answer 18

loss of or deficiency in the power to use or comprehend language as a result of injury to or disease of the brain

dysphasia sometimes can be used to mean less severe than aphasia, i.e. dysphasia is partial loss

Question 19

expressive aphasia

Answer 19

also called motor aphasia

an impaired ability to speak or write fluently or appropriately

Question 20

receptive aphasia

Answer 20

also called sensory aphasia
An inability to read or understand the spoken word. This category does not include hearing or visual impairment. The source of the problem is the inability to process information in the brain.
They may speak well and use long sentences, but what they say may not make sense. They may not know that what they’re saying is wrong, so may get frustrated when people don’t understand them.

Question 21

global aphasia

Answer 21

a combination of expressive and receptive aphasia that results from major damage to the brain, including the Broca area, the Wernicke area, and many communicating fibers throughout the brain

Question 22

fluent aphasia vs non-fluent aphasia

Answer 22

Aphasia may also be described as fluent or non-fluent.

In fluent aphasia the pace of speech is relatively normal but contains made-up words and sentences that do not make sense. Fluent aphasia is associated with damage to the Wernicke area.
Non-fluent aphasia is slow and labored speech with short phrases; often small words are omitted. It is associated with damage to the Broca area.

Question 23

dysarthria

Answer 23

A condition in which words cannot be articulated clearly. It is a motor dysfunction that usually results from cranial nerve damage or muscle impairment.

Question 24

agraphia

Answer 24

impaired writing ability

Question 25

alexia vs dyslexia

Answer 25

Those who suffer from “alexia” and “dyslexia” can have similar difficulties, however, “alexia” refers to an acquired reading disability, where reading ability had previously been developed, usually occurring in adulthood conditions, while “dyslexia” refers to developmental reading disability (i.e. in childhood).

Question 26

agnosia

Answer 26

Loss of the ability to identify objects or people.

There are 3 main types of agnosia: visual, auditory, and tactile.

Visual agnosia indicates an inability to recognize objects.
Auditory agnosia is the inability to recognize verbal sounds.
Tactile agnosia is the inability to recognize objects by touch.

Question 27

autotopagnosia

Answer 27

A condition in which you lose the ability to visually orient or recognize the parts of your own body.

Question 28

schema

Answer 28

1. a diagrammatic presentation
2. a structured framework or plan : OUTLINE
3. a mental codification of experience that includes a particular organized way of perceiving cognitively and responding to a complex situation or set of stimuli

Question 29

phonagnosia

Answer 29

a disturbance in the recognition of familiar voices and the impairment of voice discrimination abilities in which the affected individual does not suffer from comprehension deficits

Question 30

akinetopsia

Answer 30

The inability to perceive motion of visualized objects. This rare condition can cause you to see moving objects as a series of stills, like an object moving under a strobe light.

If the condition is severe, you may not be able to see any motion at all.

Question 31

prosopagnosia

Answer 31

the inability to recognize familiar faces

Question 32

clonus, clonic

Answer 32

a rapid succession of alternating contractions and partial relaxations of a muscle occurring in some nervous diseases

Question 33

cognition, cognitive

Answer 33

of, relating to, or involving conscious mental activities (such as thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering)

Question 34

coma (medical)

Answer 34

a state of profound unconsciousness caused by disease, injury, or poison
a state of mental or physical sluggishness: TORPOR

Question 35

torpor

Answer 35

1. a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility
2. a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals
3. apathy, dullness

Question 36

estivate, estivating

Answer 36

1. zoology: to pass the summer in a state of torpor or dormancy
2. to spend the summer usually at one place

Question 37

diplopia

Answer 37

Seeing two images of an object, also known as double vision.

Question 38

foramen (plural: foramina)

Answer 38

an opening inside the body that allows key structures to connect one part of the body to another

Question 39

hyperreflexia

Answer 39

overactive or overresponsive reflexes

Examples of this can include twitching or spastic tendencies, which are indicative of upper motor neuron disease as well as the lessening or loss of control ordinarily exerted by higher brain centers of lower neural pathways (disinhibition).

Question 40

infratentorial region vs supratentorial region

Answer 40

In anatomy, the infratentorial region of the brain is the area located below the tentorium cerebelli.

The area of the brain above the tentorium cerebelli is the supratentorial region.

The infratentorial region contains the cerebellum, while the supratentorial region contains the cerebrum.

The infratentorial dura is innervated by nerves from C1-C3. (dura = dura mater)

Question 41

tentorium cerebelli

Answer 41

also called cerebellar tentorium

an extension of the dura mater that separates the cerebellum from the inferior portion of the occipital lobes

Question 42

nuchal

Answer 42

of, relating to, or lying in the region of the nape

Question 43

nape

Answer 43

the back of the neck

Question 44

labile

Answer 44

1. readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown: UNSTABLE
2. readily open to change

Question 45

paresis

Answer 45

A condition in which muscle movement has become weakened or impaired. You may also sometimes see it referred to as “mild paralysis” or “partial paralysis.” Although paresis affects your muscles, it usually occurs due to nerve damage.

Question 46

photophobia

Answer 46

intolerance to light

especially: painful sensitiveness to strong light

Question 47

postictal

Answer 47

occurring after a sudden attack (as of epilepsy) or seizure

Question 48

Wernicke’s area

Answer 48

an area of the brain that is located in the posterior left temporal lobe and is associated with comprehension of language

Question 49

prodrome

adjective: prodromal

Answer 49

a medical term for early signs or symptoms of an illness or health problem that appear before the major signs or symptoms start

Question 50

ptosis

Answer 50

a sagging or prolapse of an organ or part

especially: a drooping of the upper eyelid

Question 51

prolapse

Answer 51

the falling down or slipping of a body part from its usual position or relations

Question 52

droop, drooping

Answer 52

1. to hang or incline downward
2. to sink gradually
3. to become depressed or weakened: LANGUISH

Question 53

languish

Answer 53

1. to be or become feeble, weak, or enervated
2. to be or live in a state of depression or decreasing vitality
3. to become dispirited
4. to suffer neglect
5. to assume an expression of grief or emotion appealing for sympathy

Question 54

enervation, enervate

Answer 54

lacking physical, mental, or moral vigor

Question 55

scotoma

Answer 55

a spot in the visual field in which vision is absent or deficient

Question 56

spastic

Answer 56

1. of, relating to, characterized by, or affected with or as if with spasm
2. characterized by hypertonic muscles

Question 57

spasmodic

Answer 57

1. occurring or done in brief, irregular bursts
2. caused by, subject to, or in the nature of a spasm or spasms
3. subject to outbursts of emotional excitement

Question 58

fitful, fitfully

Answer 58

lacking in steadiness or regularity of occurrence

Question 59

fit

Answer 59

1. n. a sudden experiencing of a physical or mental disorder
2. n. a sudden intense expression of strong feeling
3. n. an outburst or display of excited anger
4. adj. capable, competent, suitable, prepared

Question 60

stupor

Answer 60

The lack of critical mental function and a level of consciousness, in which an affected person is almost entirely unresponsive and responds only to intense stimuli such as pain.

The word derives from the Latin stupor (“numbness, insensibility”).

Question 61

catatonia

Answer 61

a psychomotor disturbance that may involve muscle rigidity, stupor or mutism, purposeless movements, negativism, echolalia, and inappropriate or unusual posturing and is associated with various medical conditions (such as schizophrenia and mood disorders)

Question 62

mutism

Answer 62

the condition of being unable to speak whether from physical, functional, or psychological cause

Question 63

negativism

Answer 63

1. in catatonia: opposition or no response to instructions or external stimuli
2. an attitude of mind marked by skepticism especially about nearly everything affirmed by others
3. a tendency to refuse to do, to do the opposite of, or to do something at variance with what is asked

Question 64

echolalia vs echopraxia

Answer 64

echolalia: mimicking another’s speech
echopraxia: mimicking another’s movements

Question 65

posturing

Answer 65

to assume an artificial or pretended attitude

in catatonia: spontaneous and active maintenance of a posture against gravity

Question 66

stereotypy

Answer 66

repetitive, abnormally frequent, non-goal-directed movements

Question 67

catalepsy

Answer 67

a trancelike state marked by loss of voluntary motion in which the limbs remain in whatever position they are placed

Question 68

wavy flexibility

Answer 68

allowing positioning by an examiner and maintaining that position

Question 69

tetraplegia

Answer 69

another name for quadriplegia

quadriplegia: partial or complete paralysis of both the arms and legs that is usually due to injury or disease of the spinal cord in the region of the neck

Question 70

transillumination, transilluminate, transilluminator

Answer 70

to cause light to pass through

especially: to pass light through (a body part) for medical examination

Question 71

papilledema

Answer 71

swelling and protrusion of the blind spot of the eye caused by edema
— called also choked disk

Question 72

meningitis

Answer 72

An inflammation (swelling) of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. A bacterial or viral infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord usually causes the swelling. However, injuries, cancer, certain drugs, and other types of infections also can cause meningitis.

Question 73

post-polio syndrome (PPS)

Answer 73

A disorder of the nerves and muscles. It happens in some people many years after they have had polio. PPS may cause new muscle weakness that gets worse over time, pain in the muscles and joints, and tiredness. People with PPS often feel exhausted.

Question 74

Reye’s syndrome

Answer 74

A rare but serious condition that causes swelling in the liver and brain. Reye’s syndrome most often affects children and teenagers recovering from a viral infection, most commonly the flu or chickenpox.

Question 75

Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Answer 75

A rare, autoimmune disorder in which a person’s own immune system damages the nerves, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can cause symptoms that last for a few weeks to several years. Most people recover fully, but some have permanent nerve damage.

Question 76

primary brain injury vs secondary brain injury

Answer 76

Primary brain injury refers to the sudden and profound injury to the brain that is considered to be more or less complete at the time of impact. This occurs at the time of the car accident, gunshot wound, or fall.

Secondary brain injury refers to the changes that evolve over a period of time (from hours to days) after the primary brain injury. It includes an entire cascade of cellular, chemical, tissue, or blood vessel changes in the brain that contribute to further destruction of brain tissue.

Question 77

cascade

Answer 77

1. a small, steep waterfall
2. a large amount of something that flows or hangs down
3. a large number of things that happen quickly in a series
4. something falling or rushing forth in quantity

Question 78

hematoma

Answer 78

an abnormal collection of blood outside of a blood vessel

Most commonly, hematomas are caused by an injury to the wall of a blood vessel, prompting blood to seep out of the blood vessel into the surrounding tissues. A hematoma can result from an injury to any type of blood vessel (artery, vein, or small capillary). A hematoma usually describes bleeding which has more or less clotted, whereas a hemorrhage signifies active, ongoing bleeding.

Question 79

bruise

Answer 79

A bruise, also known as a contusion, typically appears on the skin after trauma such as a blow to the body. It occurs when the small veins and capillaries under the skin break.

A hematoma can look like a bruise, but bruises occur due to damage to small blood vessels rather than large ones.

Question 80

concussion

Answer 80

also called MTBI (mild traumatic brain injury)

It is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head or a violent shaking of the head and body. Effects are usually temporary but can include headaches and problems with concentration, memory, balance and coordination.

Some concussions cause you to lose consciousness, but most do not.

Question 81

cerebral palsy (CP)

Answer 81

A group of disorders that affect a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. CP is the most common motor disability in childhood.

Question 82

meningocele

Answer 82

A meningocele is a birth defect where there is a sac protruding from the spinal column.

The sac includes spinal fluid, but does not contain neural tissue. It may be covered with skin or with meninges (the membranes that cover the central nervous system). The sac often is visible from the outside of the back.

Question 83

dyskinesia, dyskinetic

Answer 83

Abnormal, uncontrollable, involuntary movements. There are many different types of dyskinesia with symptoms that range from minor tics to full-body movements. Dyskinesia can be a stand-alone condition.

Question 84

gingival hyperplasia

Answer 84

A condition that refers to an overgrowth of your gums (also known as your gingiva). Whereas some people have too little gums to cover their teeth, those with this condition have too much gum tissue.

Question 85

multiple sclerosis (MS)

Answer 85

A disease in which the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves.

Question 86

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Answer 86

A progressive nervous system disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing loss of muscle control. ALS is often called Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it.

Question 87

myasthenia gravis (MG)

Answer 87

A chronic autoimmune disorder in which antibodies destroy the communication between nerves and muscle, resulting in weakness of the skeletal muscles. Myasthenia gravis affects the voluntary muscles of the body, especially those that control the eyes, mouth, throat and limbs.

Question 88

Huntington’s Disease

Answer 88

Also called: HD, Huntington’s chorea

An inherited condition in which nerve cells in the brain break down over time.
It typically starts in a person’s 30s or 40s.

Usually, Huntington’s disease results in progressive movement, thinking (cognitive), and psychiatric symptoms.

Question 89

Alzheimer’s Disease

Answer 89

Also called: senile dementia

A progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions.
Brain cell connections and the cells themselves degenerate and die, eventually destroying memory and other important mental functions.
Memory loss and confusion are the main symptoms.

Alzheimer’s disease accounts for 60-80% of dementia cases.

The greatest known risk factor is increasing age, and the majority of people with Alzheimer’s are 65 and older. Alzheimer’s disease is considered to be younger-onset Alzheimer’s if it affects a person under 65. Younger-onset can also be referred to as early-onset Alzheimer’s.

Question 90

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

Answer 90

A rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurodegenerative disorder believed to be caused by an abnormal isoform of a cellular glycoprotein known as the prion protein. CJD occurs worldwide and the estimated annual incidence in many countries, including the United States, has been reported to be about one case per million population.

Question 91

isoform

Answer 91

any of two or more functionally similar proteins that have a similar but not an identical amino acid sequence

Question 92

prions

Answer 92

Misfolded proteins with the ability to transmit their misfolded shape onto normal variants of the same protein. They characterize several fatal and transmissible neurodegenerative diseases in humans and many other animals.

It is not known what causes the normal protein to misfold, but the abnormal three-dimensional structure is suspected of conferring infectious properties, collapsing nearby protein molecules into the same shape. The word prion derives from “proteinaceous infectious particle”. The hypothesized role of a protein as an infectious agent stands in contrast to all other known infectious agents such as viroids, viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites, all of which contain nucleic acids (DNA, RNA, or both).

Question 93

viroid

Answer 93

Viroids are small infectious pathogens. They are composed solely of a short strand of circular, single-stranded RNA. Unlike viruses, they have no protein coating. All known viroids are inhabitants of angiosperms, and most cause diseases, whose respective economic importance to humans varies widely.

Question 94

angiosperms

Answer 94

A plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel. The angiosperms are a large group and include herbaceous plants, shrubs, grasses, and most trees.

Question 95

carpel

Answer 95

the female reproductive organ that encloses the ovules in the flowering plants or angiosperms

Question 96

ovules (botany)

Answer 96

plant structure that develops into a seed when fertilized by pollen

Question 97

pollen

Answer 97

A fine powdery substance, typically yellow, consisting of microscopic grains discharged from the male part of a flower. Each grain contains a male gamete that can fertilize the female ovule, to which pollen is transported by the wind, insects, or other animals.

Question 98

shrub

Answer 98

a woody plant smaller than a tree, usually having multiple permanent stems branching from or near the ground

Question 99

herbaceous plants

Answer 99

Herbaceous plants are vascular plants, which means that they have a vascular system. It’s similar to the one humans have and transports water around the plant. All herbaceous plants also have soft, fleshy stems—not the woody ones that are found on shrubs and trees. Most flowers, vegetables, and houseplants are herbaceous.

Question 100

vascular dementia

Answer 100

a general term describing problems with reasoning, planning, judgment, memory and other thought processes caused by brain damage from impaired blood flow to your brain

Question 101

schizophrenia

Answer 101

A set of symptoms characterized by a loss of touch with reality due to a disruption in the way that the brain processes information. When schizophrenia is active, symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, trouble with thinking and lack of motivation.

Question 102

herniated disc

Answer 102

Also called: spinal disc herniation

Your backbone, or spine, is made up of 26 bones called vertebrae. In between them are soft disks filled with a jelly-like substance. These disks cushion the vertebrae and keep them in place. As you age, the disks break down or degenerate. As they do, they lose their cushioning ability. This can lead to pain if the back is stressed.

A spinal disk has a soft, jellylike center (nucleus pulposus) encased in a tougher, rubbery exterior (annulus fibrosus). Sometimes called a slipped disk or a ruptured disk, a herniated disk occurs when some of the nucleus pushes out through a tear in the annulus.

A herniated disk is a disk that ruptures. This allows the jelly-like center of the disk to leak, irritating the nearby nerves. This can cause sciatica or back pain.

Your doctor will diagnose a herniated disk with a physical exam and, sometimes, imaging tests. With treatment, most people recover. Treatments include rest, pain and anti-inflammatory medicines, physical therapy, and sometimes surgery.