Exam 5 Definitions Flashcards
(84 cards)
Wernicke’s aphasia
ability to grasp the meaning of spoken words and sentences is impaired, while the ease of producing connected speech is not very affected.
leptomeninges
the inner two meninges, the arachnoid, and the pia mater, between which circulates the cerebrospinal fluid.
Broca’s aphasia
aphasia characterized by partial loss of the ability to produce language (spoken, manual, or written), although comprehension generally remains intact. A person with expressive aphasia will exhibit effortful speech.
dysphasia
language disorder marked by deficiency in the generation of speech, and sometimes also in its comprehension, due to brain disease or damage.
hypotonia
decreased muscle tone
ataxia
the loss of full control of bodily movements.
nystagmus
vision condition in which the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements. These movements often result in reduced vision and depth perception and can affect balance and coordination. These involuntary eye movements can occur from side to side, up and down, or in a circular pattern.
dysmetria
inability to control the distance, speed, and range of motion necessary to perform smoothly coordinated movements. Dysmetria is a sign of cerebellar damage, and often presents along with additional signs, such as loss of balance and poor coordination of walking, speech, and eye movements.
apraxia
neurological disorder characterized by the inability to perform learned (familiar) movements on command, even though the command is understood and there is a willingness to perform the movement. Both the desire and the capacity to move are present but the person simply cannot execute the act.
anosmia
the loss of the sense of smell, either total or partial. It may be caused by head injury, infection, or blockage of the nose.
strabismus
condition in which the eyes do not properly align with each other when looking at an object. The eye that is focused on an object can alternate. The condition may be present occasionally or constantly. If present during a large part of childhood, it may result in amblyopia or loss of depth perception.
anisocoria
condition in which the pupil of one eye differs in size from the pupil of the other eye. Your pupils are the black circles in the center of your eyes. They are usually the same size. Anisocoria can be caused by several things. You can be born with this condition or develop it later.
dysdiadochokinesia
refers to the inability to perform rapid, alternating movements, such as flipping one’s hand from back to front on a flat surface or screwing in a light bulb. DDK can cause problems with upper and lower extremities as well as with speech.
saccadic eye movement
rapid eye movements designed to shift the fovea to objects of visual interest. Abnormalities of saccades offer important clues in the diagnosis of several movements’ disorders.
aura
A sensation perceived by a patient that precedes a condition affecting the brain. An aura often occurs before a migraine or seizure. It may consist of flashing lights, a gleam of light, blurred vision, an odor, the feeling of a breeze, numbness, weakness, or difficulty in speaking.
decerebrate rigidity
involuntary extensor positioning of the arms, flexion of the hands, with knee extension and plantar flexion when stimulated because of a midbrain lesion.
decorticate rigidity
An involuntary posturing whereby the arms are extended on the sides while the head is arched back, as exhibited by an individual with lesions or compression in the midbrain
diplopia
perception of 2 images of a single object.
fasciculations
muscle twitch, is a spontaneous, involuntary muscle contraction and relaxation, involving fine muscle fibers. They are common, with as much as 70% of people experiencing them. They can be benign or associated with more serious conditions.
hemianopia
blindness over half the field of vision.
hyperesthesia
condition that involves an abnormal increase in sensitivity to stimuli of the sense. Stimuli of the senses can include sound that one hears, foods that one tastes, textures that one feels, and so forth.
myoclonus
sudden muscle spasm. The movement is involuntary and cannot be stopped or controlled. It may involve one muscle or a group of muscles. The movements may occur in a pattern or randomly.
nuchal rigidity
- inability to flex the neck forward due to rigidity of the neck muscles
ptosis
when the upper eyelid droops over the eye. The eyelid may droop just a little, or so much that it covers the pupil (the black dot at the center of your eye that lets light in). Ptosis can limit or even completely block normal vision.
