Chapter 15 - Nervous System Flashcards
cerebrum
main (largest) portion of the brain, occupying the upper part of the crainal cavity; its two hemisphere, united by the corpus callosum, form the largest part of the CNS in humans
cerebellum
situated on the back of the brain stem; consisting of a median lobe (vernis) and two lateral lobes (the hemispheres)
brain stem
the stemlike portion of the brain connectin the cerebral hemisphes with the spinal cord and comprising the pons, medula oblongata, and midbrain
encephalon
located between the cerebrum and midbrain, it contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pineal glands. involved in controlling body temperatures, sleep, appetite, blood pressure, and sexual activity
meninges
the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord: dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater
dura mater
the outermost, toughest of the three meninges (membranes) of the brain and spinal cord
arachnoid
the delicate membrane interposed between the dura mater and the pia mater
pia mater
the innermost of the three meninges covering the brain and spinal cord
cerebrospinal fluid
fluid within the ventricles of the brain, the subarachonoid space, and the central canal
olfactory
sense of smell
optic
vision
oculomotor
movements of the eye
trochlear
muscles of the eyes
trigeminal
facial movements
abducens
muscles of the eyes turning the eye outward
facial
muscles of the face, ears, and scalp
auditory
pertaining to the ear or the sense of hearing
glossopharyngeal
pertaining to the tongue and pharynx
pneymogastric vagus
voice and swallowing
spinal
neck muscles
hypoglossal
beneath the tongue
sympathetic
the part of the autonomic nervous system assisting the body in emergencies, defense, and survival
parasympathetic
the part of the autonomic nervous system bringing body functions back to normal after a stressful situation has ended
abscess (brain)
secondary to infection in the body, e.g., ear, sinuses
Alzheimer’s disease (presenile dementia)
characterized by confusion, restlessness, agnosia, speech disturbances, inability to carry out purposeful movements, and hallucinations. the disease usually beings in later midlife with slight defects in memory and behavior and occurs with equal frequency in men and woman. the cause is unknown
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
progressive degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons; usualy fatal
anencephaly
congenital absence of the brain; death occurs in 1-2 days
Bell’s palsy
unilateral facial paralysis of sudden onset caused by lesion of the facial nerve; facial distortion
carpal tunnel syndrome
the disorder is largely due to repetitive overuse of the fingers, hands, or wrists, which causes inflammation of the median nerve in the tunnel. symptoms are intermittent or continuous pain, espcially at night. treatment involves anti-inflammatory drugs, splints, physical therapy, and ceasing the overuse. if these measure fail, surgical measures to relieve the pressure may be necessary
cerebral palsy
paralysis from development defects or trauma; many symptoms; appearing before age 3, caused by nonprogressive damage to the brain
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
a decrease in blood flow supply to the brain, causing death to the specific portion of the brain tissues affected. the three types of CVA are hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when a cerebral vessel ruptures, thrombotic stroke, with 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
concussion
a violent blow to the head; there may or may not be a loss of consciousness
convulsion (seizure)
an involuntary contraction or series of contractions of the voluntary muscles; sudden disturbances in mental functions and body movements, some with loss of consciousness
encephalitis
inflammation of the brain
epilepsy
seizure disorder; cause usually unknown; symptoms can be managed with medication
fracture (skull)
a break in the bones of the skull; cause can be injury, gunshot wounds
grand mal seizure
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
hematoma
blood “tumor” (clot); must be removed if large enough to cause pressure on brain
herpes zoster
“shingles”; an acute inflammatory disease of cerebral or spinal nerve due to viral infection; common in the elderly
hydrocephalus
“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
Huntington’s chorea
ceaseless occurrence of rapid, jerky, involuntary movements, hereditary disease marked by chronic progressive chorea and mental deterioration
Korsakoff’s syndrome
an alcoholic psychosis with disorientation, progressing to complete amnesia
meningitis
inflammation of the meninges caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infection
meningocele (myelomeningocele)
hernial protrusion of the meninges through a bone defect in the cranium or vertebral column; may be repaired surgically
multiple sclerosis (MS)
brain and cord contain areas of degenerated myelin. symptoms of lesions include weakness, incoordination, speech disturbances, and visual complaints
myasthenia gravis (MG)
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 disease occurs more often in woman than men, with onset between ages 20-40, and in older men more often than in younger men. onset is between ages 50-60
neuropathy
disease of cranial and peripheral nervous system; motor, sensory, and reflex impairment
organic brain syndrome (chronic brain syndrome)
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
Parkinson’s disease
a slowly progressive, degenerative, neurologic disorder characterized by resting tremor
petit mal seizures
also called absence seizure, the petit mal is a minor seizure lasting only a few seconds. the person has a momentary clouding of consciousness, maybe have a blank facial expression, and blink their eyes rapidly. the duration of the seizure if 5-10s. the individual may not be aware of the episode. it is more frequent in children
poliomyelitis
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
sciatica
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 a lumbar disk
shunt
to bypass, e.g., using a catheter to drain fluid from brain cavities to the spinal cord
spinal cord injuries
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
subdurnal hemotoma
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 cannont be aspirated through bur holes
Tay-Sach’s disease
an inherited inborn error of metabolism in which there is an enzyme deficiency causing altered lipid metabolism. deficiency of this enzyme results in accumlation 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 this disease in the unborn fetus through amniocentesis. no therapy is available for the disease. supportive and symptomatic care is indicated. tay-sach’s primarily affects children of ashkenazic jews
tumors (cord, brain)
benign or malignant, primary or metastatic; may be classified by location, tissue type, or degree of malignancy, e.g., gliomas, neuromas
whiplash
a popular term for an acute cervical sprain; acceleration extension injury of the cervical spine
angiogram (arteriogram), cerebral
a radiopaque substance is injected into artieries in the neck, then x-ray films are taken
Babinski’s sign
reflex response; when sole of the foot is stroked, the big toe turns up instead of down (normal in newborn, but pathologic later on)
bur holes
holes made with a drill creating openings in bone to permit access for biopsy, insertion for drains for relieving pressure, or for monitoring devices
computerized tomography (CT) brain scan. also called CAT scan
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
cordotomy
cutting of nerve fibers to relieve intractable pain
craniotomy
any operation on 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
echoencephalogram (EEG)
use of ultrasound to show displacement of brain structures
electroencephalogran (EKG)
record of electrical activity of the brain
laboratory procedures
examination of cerbrospinal fluid (cell counts, culture, blood)
laminectomy
exicsion of the posterior arch of a vertebra to view the spinal cord or to relieve pressure
lumbar puncture (LP)
spinal tap
lumbar sympathectomy
a surgical interruption of part of the sympathetic nerve pathways, performed for the relief of chronic pain in vascular diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, claudication, and so on
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain
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 fluid, 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
myelogram (myelography)
the film produced by myelography, e.g., injection of a dye into the subarachnoid space to detect tumors or herniated disks
nerve block
injection of anesthetic into a nerve to produce the loss of sensation
nerve cells (neurons)
conducting 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
pneumoencephalogram (PEG)
the radiograph obtained by visulatzaion of the fluid-containing structures of the brain after cerebrospinal fluid is intermittently withdrawn by lumbar puncture and replace by air, oxygen, or helium
positron emission tomography (PET) scan
images of various structures show how the brain uses gluclose and gives information about brain function. PET scans are used to asses Alzheimer’s, stroke, epilepsy, and schizophrenia, as well as study and diagnose brain tumors
rhizotomoy
cutting the roots of spinal nerves to relieve incurable pain
Romberg test
a test of the sense of balance, e.g., the patient may lose balance when standing erect, feet together, and eyes closed
trephination
drilling a hole in the skull to evacuate clots of inject air for a disnostic procedure
vagotomy
surgical transection of the fibers of the vagus nerve
ventriculography
radiography of the cerebral ventrilces after introduction of air or other contrast medium
affect
the feeling experienced in connection with an emotion
aggression
hostile attitude; maybe be due to insecurity or inferiority feeling
ambivalence
conflicting emotional attitudes toward a goal, e.g., hate and love
amnesia
loss of memory
autism
complete withdrawal; inability to communicate
catatonia
excessive violent motor activity or lack of reaction and movement; observed in schizophrenia
delusion
a false personal belief
delirium
a mental disturbance of relatively short duration, e.g., illusions, hallucinations, and excitement
depression
in psychiarty, a morbid sadness, dejection, or melancholy; a decrease of body functions
echolalia
automatic repetition by a patient of what is said to him or her
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, EST)
introducing convulsions by means of electricity; used on patients with affective disorders
hallucination
hearing or seeing things not really present
hypochondria
imaginary illnesses
hysteria
extremely emotional state
involutional melancholia
mental illness in late middle life, with agitation, worry, anxiety, and insomnia
malingering
make believe, e.g., pretending to be ill
manic-depressive
major psychosis; fluctuation of behavior between mania and depression; also called bipolar disorder
megalomania
belief in one’s own extreme greatness, goodness, or power
neurasthenia
a stage in the recovery from a schizophrenic experience during which the patient is listless and apparently unable to cope with routine activities and relationships
neurosis
an emotional disorder caused by unresolved conflicts anxiety being its chief characteristic; person is still in touch with reality
paranoid
a person who is overly suspicious (in trends or attitudes)
phobia
any persistent abnormal dread or fear
psychosis
a major mental disorder, with personality derangement and loss of contact with reality
rapid eye movement (REM)
occur during periods of dreaming
schizophrenia
any of a group of severe emotional disorders characterized by withdrawal from reality, delusions, hallucinations, ambivalence, inappropriate affect, and withdrawn, bizarre, and regressive behavior
aphasia
loss of the ability to speak owing to injury or disease of the brain centers
ataxia
failure of muscular coordination
biofeedback
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
cauda equina
the collection of spinal roots descending from the lower spinal cord and supplying the rectal area
comatose
in deep stupor; cannot be aroused
contrecoup
denoting an injury to the brain, occurring at a site opposite to the point of impact
deep tendon reflex (DTR)
a reflex elicited by a sharp tap on the appropriate tendon or muscle to induce brief stretch of the muscle, followed by contraction
encephalon
the brain
fissure
many meaning; one refers to a deep furrow in the brain
flaccid
weak, lax, soft, flabby; poor muscle tone
foramen magnum
a large opening in the occipital bone through with the cord passes
ganglion
a knot. a group of nerve cell bodies, located outside the central nervous system
gyrus (pl., gyri)
convolutions of the cerebrum
hemisphere
either half of the brain
ipsilateral
situated on or affecting the same side
limbic system
the part of the brain associated with attitudes and emotional behavior
manometer
an instrument for measuring the pressure, e.g., of spinal fluid
myelin
white, liquid, fatty substances surrounding some nerve fibers (white matter)
neurilemma (sheath of Schwann)
the membrane surround the peripheral nerves
paralysis
inability to use muscles because of damage to the nervous system
paresis
slight or incomplete paralysis
paresthesia
an abnormal sensation, such as burning or prickling
plexus
a network of nerves or blood vessels
reflex
an involuntary response to a stimulus
spastic
uncontrollable and forced contractions
stimuls
any agent, act, or influence that produces a reaction or response
sulcus (pl., sulci)
a groove, trench, or furrow on the brain surface
syncope
a faith; temporary loss of consciousness
ventricle (brain)
a small cavity in the brain
