Med Term 10 Flashcards
includes the brain and the spinal cord
central nervous system (CNS)
includes the 12 pairs of cranial nerves extending from the brain and the 31 pairs of peripheral spinal nerves extending outward from the spinal cord
peripheral nervous system (PNS)
one or more bundles of neurons that connect the brain and the spindal cord with other parts of the body
nerve
a bundle or group of nerve fibers located within the brain or spinal cord
tract
carry nerve impulses toward the brain
ascending nerve tracts
carry nerve impulses away from the brain
descending nerve tracts
a nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the CNS
ganglion
means the supply of nerves to a specific body part
innervation
a network of intersecting spinal nerves
plexus
sites in the sensory organs that receive external stimulation
receptors
anything that excites a nerve and causes an impulse
stimulus
an automatic, involuntary response to some change, either inside or outside the body
reflex
the basic cells of the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with each other
neurons
neurons that emerge from sensory organs and the skin to carry the impulses from the sensory organs toward the brain and spinal cord
afferent neurons (Ace), aka sensory neurons (Sam)
these neurons link sensory and motor neurons
connecting neurons (aCe), aka associative neurons (sAm)
these neurons carry impulses away from the brain and spinal cord and toward the muscles and glands
efferent neurons (acE), aka motor neurons (saM)
the root-like processes that receive impulses and conduct them to the cell body
dendrites
a process that extends away from the cell body and conducts impulses away from the nerve cell. can be more than 3 feet long
axon
the branching fibers at the end of the axon that lead the nervous impulse from the axon to the synapse
terminal end fibers
the space between two neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ.
synapse
chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse of a neuron to the target receptor
neurotransmitters
provide support and protection for neurons, and their four main functions are surround neurons/hold them in place, supply nutrients and O2 to neurons, to insulate one from another, and to destroy and remove dead neurons
glial cells
the protective covering made up of glial cells, a white sheath that forms the white matter of the brain, and covers some parts of the spinal cord and the axon of most peripheral nerves
myelin sheath
the system of membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord of the CNS, consist of 3 layers of connective tissues
meninges
the thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges
dura mater
the second layer of the meninges that resembles a spider web
arachnoid membrane
the third layer of the meninges, and is located nearest to the brain and spinal cord, consists of delicate connective tissue that contains a rich supply of blood vessels
pia mater
produced by special capillaries within the four ventricles located in the middle region of the cerebrum, clear, colorless, watery fluid
cerebrospinal fluid, aka spinal fluid
the largest and uppermost portion of the brain, responsible for thought, judgement, memory, emotion, controlling and integrating motor and sensory functions
cerebrum
means pertaining to the cerebrum or to the brain
cerebral
means brain
cerebr/o
created by the division of the cerebrum and are connected at the lower midpoint by the corpus callosum
cerebral hemispheres
subdivisions of each cerebral hemisphere, each named for the bone of the cranium that covers it
cerebral lobes
produces sensations by relaying impulses to and from the cerebrum and the sense organs of the body, located below the cerebrum
thalamus
located below the thalamus, has 7 major regulatory functions
hypothalamus
the second largest part of the brain, located at the back of the head below the posterior portion of the cerebrum
cerebellum
the stalk-like portion of the brain that connects the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord, made of 3 parts
brainstem
provide conduction pathways to and from the higher and lower centers in the brain, also control reflexes for movements of the eyes and head in response to stimuli
midbrain and pons
connected to the spinal cord, located at the lowest part of the brainstem. controls basic survival functions, including respiration, heart rate, and blood pressure, coughing, sneezing, swallowing, and vomiting
medulla
a long, fragile tube-like structure that begins at the end of the brain stem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spinal column
spinal cord
12 pair of nerves that originate from the undersurface of the brain. each 2 in a pair have identical function and each nerve of a pair serves half of the body
cranial nerves
31 pairs of nerves that are grouped together, and named based on the region of the body they innervate
peripheral nerves
controls the involuntary actions of the body such as functioning of internal organs. organized into two divisions, which balance each other
autonomic nervous system
nervous system that prepares the body for emergencies and stress by increasing breathing rate, heart rate, and blood flow to muscles
sympathetic nervous system
nervous system that returns the body to normal after a response to stress, also maintains normal body functions during ordinary circumstances
parasympathetic nervous system
a physician who specializes in administering anesthetic agents before and during surgery
anesthesiologist
means feeling
esthesi/o, esthst/o
a medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia, but is not a physician
anesthetist
a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the nervous system
neurologist
means nerve
neur/o
a physician who specializes in surgery of the nervous system
neurosurgeon
a physician who specializes in diagnosing and treating chemical dependencies, emotional problems, and mental illness
psychiatrist
means mind
psych/o
holds and advanced degree, but is not a medical doctor. evaluates and treats emotional problems and mental illness
psychologist
means specialist
-iatrist, -ologist
pain in the head
cephalalgia, aka headache
characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head, can be preceded by a warning aura
migraine headache
intensely painful headaches that affect one side of the head and may be associated with tearing of the eyes and nasal congestion, affect primarily men
cluster headaches
a congenital herniation of brain tissue through a gap in the skull
encephalocele, aka craniocele
means brain
encephal/o
the congenital herniation of the meninges through a defect in the skull or spinal column
meningocele
means meninges
mening/o
a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain
hydrocephalus
means water
hydr/o
an inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord, can be fatal, usually bacteria or viral caused
meningitis
a group of disorders involving the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. marked by progressive deterioration that affects both memory and reasoning capabilities
Alzheimer’s disease
describes the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory
cognition
a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, and judgement, often accompanied by personality changes
dementia
and inflammation of the brain, can be caused by a viral infection such as rabies
encephalitis
a chronic, degenerative central nervous disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, and slow or shuffling gait
Parkinson’s disease
a potentially serious or deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion. usually follows viral infections in which the child was given aspirin
Reye’s syndrome
an acute and potentially fatal fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria
tetanus
a memory disturbance characterized by a total or partial inability to recall past experiences. can be caused by brain injury, illness, or psychological disturbance
amnesia
a violent shaking up or jarring of the brain
concussion
means shaken together
concuss/o
the bruising of brain tissue as the result of a head injury that causes the brain to bounce against the rigid bone of the skull
cerebral contusion
a collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain
cranial hematoma
a blow to the head or penetrating head injury that damages the brain
traumatic brain injury
describes the results of a child being violently shaken by someone. can cause brain injury, blindness, fractures, seizures, paralysis, and death
shaken baby syndrome
terms used to describe alterations of consciousness caused by injury, disease, or substances such as medication, drugs, or alcohol
levels of consciousness (LOC)
the state of being awake, alert, aware, and responding appropriately
conscious
the state of being unaware and unable to respond to any stimuli including pain
unconscious
a lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy
lethargy
an unresponsive state from which a person can be aroused only briefly and with vigorous, repeated attempts
stupor
the brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain
syncope
a profound state of unconsciousness marked by the absence of spontaneous eye movements, no response to painful stimuli, and lack of speech
coma
a type of coma in which the patient exhibits alternating sleep and wake cycles; however, due to severe damage to certain areas of the brain, the person is unconscious even when appearing to be awake
persistent vegetative state
an acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, agitation, and hallucinations
delirium
an abnormal growth located inside the skull
brain tumor
the amount of pressure inside the skull
intracranial pressure
damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted because a blood vessel is either blocked or has ruptured
cerebrovascular accident, aka stroke, or CVA
occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked, and is the most common type of stroke in older people
ischemic stroke
the temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain. passes within less than an hour, but is often a warning sign of increased risk to stroke
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
the loss of the ability to speak, write, and/or comprehend the written or spoken word. often caused by brain damage associated with stroke
aphasia
occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks
hemorrhagic stroke, aka bleed
the prolonged or abnormal inability to sleep. usually a symptom of another problem
insomnia
means sleep
somn/o
a sleep disorder consisting of sudden and uncontrollable brief episodes of falling asleep during the day
narcolepsy
means stupor
narc/o
means seizure
-lepsy
a sufficient lack of restorative sleep over cumulative period so as to cause physical or psychiatric symtoms and affect routine performance or tasks
sleep deprivation
the condition of walking or performing some other activity without awakening
somnambulism
means to walk
ambul/o
an inflammation of the spinal cord
myelitis
means spinal cord
myel/o
a tumor of the spinal cord
myelosis
a highly contagious form of myelitis that is a viral disease with no cure, but can be prevented by a vaccine
poliomyelitis
injury to the spinal cord
spinal cord injury
an inflammation of the root of a spinal nerve that causes pain and numbness radiating down the affected limb
radiculitis
means root or nerve root
radicul/o
nerve pain caused by pressure on the spinal nerve roots in the neck region
cervical radiculophathy
nerve pain in the lower back caused by muscle spasms or by nerve root irritation from the compression of vertebral disks such as a herniated disk
lumbar radiculopathy
a progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation that causes demyelination of the myelin sheath, can scar the brain, spinal cord, optic nerves and disrupts nerve impulses. also causes pain
multiple sclerosis
a rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles, patients become progressively weaker to paralysis and then death
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, aka Lou Gehrig’s disease
the temporary paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve that causes paralysis only of the affected side of the face
Bell’s palsy
an inflammation of the myelin sheath of peripheral nerves, characterized by rapidly worsening muscle weakness that can lead to temporary paralysis
Guillain-Barre syndrome
inflammation of the sciatic nerve that results in pain, burning, and tingling along the course of the affected sciatic nerve through the thigh, leg, and foot
sciatica
characterized by severe lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve. sudden, intense, and brief attacks of sharp pain that affect the cheek, lips, and gums only on the side of the face innervated by the affected nerve
trigeminal neuralgia
a condition characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, speech defects, and other neurologic deficiencies due to damage that affects the cerebrum
cerebral palsy
a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures of varying severity
epilepsy
a sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects how a person feels or acts for a short time. occur in varying levels of severity
seizure
persistent, sever burning pain that usually follows an injury to a sensory nerve
causalgia
means burning
caus/o
pain that occurs after an injury to an arm or a leg, heart attack, stroke, or other medical problem
complex regional pain syndrome
a condition of abnormal and excessive sensitivity to touch, pain, or other sensory stimuli
hyperesthesia
means sensation or feeling
-esthesia
a disorder of the nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord. produces pain, loss of sensation, and inability to control muscles
peripheral neuropathy
a neurological disorder characterized by uncomfortable feelings in the legs, producing a strong urge to move them
restless legs syndrome (RLS)
important neuroimaging tools because they facilitate the examination of the soft tissue structures of the brain and spinal cord
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT)
an ultrasound study of the carotid artery
carotid ultrasonography
the use of ultrasound imaging to diagnose a shift in the midline structures of the brain
echoencephalography
means beyond
ultra-
means sound
son/o, ech/o
the process of recording the electrical activity of the brain through the use of electrodes attached to the scalp
electroencephalography
a radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture
myelography
the process of obtaining a sample of cerebrospinal fluid by inserting a needle into the subarachnoid space of the lumbar region to withdraw fluid
lumbar punture, aka spinal tap
a barbiturate used as a sedative and hypnotic
amobarbital
depresses the central nervous system and usually produces sleep
hypnotic
administered to prevent seizures such as those associated with epilepsy
anticonvulsant
a class of drugs whose major action is calming or depressed effect on the central nervous system
barbiturates
a barbiturate used as a sedative and as an anticonvulsant
phenobarbital
depresses the central nervous system to produce calm and diminished responsiveness without producing sleep
sedative
the absence of normal sensation, especially sensitivity to pain, that is induced by the administration of an anesthetic
anesthesia
the medication used to induce anesthesia
anesthetic
regional anesthesia produced by injecting a local anesthetic into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine
epidural anesthesia
surgical removal of a portion of the brain to treat brain cancer or seizure disorders that cannot be controlled with medication
lobectomy
a surgical incision into the thalamus, primarily performed to quiet tremors of Parkinson’s disease
thalamotomy
means thalamus
thalam/o
the surgical repair of a nerve or nerves
neuroplasty
surgically suturing together the ends of a severed nerve
neurorrhaphy
a surgical incision or the dissection of a nerve
neurotomy
mental conditions characterized by excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, or fear that is out of proportion to the real danger in a situation
anxiety disorders
characterized by chronic anxiety plus exaggerated worry and tension even when there is little or nothing to provoke these feelings
generalized anxiety disorder
an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted obsessions and/or recurrent compulsions
obsessive-compulsive disorder
an anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected and repeated episodes known as panic attacks
panic disorder
characterized by a group of intense emotional feelings that include apprehension, fearfulness, and terror
panic attack
may develop after an event involving actual or threatened death or injury to the individual or someone else, during which the person felt intense fear, helplessness, or horror
posttraumatic stress disorder
a persistent irrational fear of a specific thing or situation, strong enough to cause significant distress, to interfere with functioning, and to lead to the avoidance of the thing or situation that causes this reaction
phobia
excessive fear of being in high places
acrophobia
means top
acr/o
means abnormal fear
-phobia
an excessive fear of situations in which having a panic attack seems likely and/or dangerous or embarrassing
agoraphobia
means marketplace
agor/a
an excessive fear of spiders
arachnophobia
means spider
arachn/o
an abnormal fear of being in narrow or enclosed spaces
claustrophobia
means barrier
claustr/o
describes a group of conditions in which a young child cannot develop normal social relationships, compulsively follows repetitive routines, and frequently has poor communication skills
autism
characterized by a short attention span and impulsive behavior that is inappropriate for the child’s developmental age
attention deficit disorder (ADD)
a learning disability characterized by substandard reading achievement due to the inability of the brain to process symbols
dyslexia
disorders found in children of normal intelligence who have difficulties in learning specific skills such as processing language or grasping mathematical concepts
learning disabilities
a diagnosis consisting of below-average intellectual functioning, significant deficits in adaptive functioning, and onset during the developmental period of life (before 18)
mental retardation
occur when normal thought is separated from consciousness
dissociative disorders
a mental illness characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personalities
dissociative identity disorder
a condition in which an individual acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when they really don’t
factitious disorder
a form of child abuse, caused by a parent falsifying a condition or illness of a childhood, resulting in treatment or even surgery for that child
factitious disorder by proxy
a group of psychiatric disorders characterized by the inability to resist an impulse despite potential negative consequences
impulse-control disorders
a disorder characterized by repeatedly stealing objects neither for personal use nor for monetary gain
kleptomania
a disorder characterized by repeated, deliberate fire setting
pyromania
means to steal
klept/o
means madness
-mania
means fire
pyr/o
a disorder characterized by the repeated pulling out of one’s own hair
trichotillomania
a condition characterized by cycles of severe mood changes shifting from highs and severe lows that affect a person’s attitude, energy, and ability to function
bipolar disporder
includes an abnormally elevated mood state, including inappropriate elation, increased irritability, severe insomnia, poor judgement, and inappropriate social behavior
manic behavior
a common mood disorder characterized by lethargy and sadness, as well as loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities
depression
a low-grade chronic depression with symtoms that are milder than those of severe depression but are present on a majority of days for 2 or more years
dysthymia
a seasonal bout of depression associated with the decrease in hours of daylight during winter months
seasonal affective disorder
a chronic pattern of inner experience and behavior that causes serious problems with relationships and work
personality disorder
characterized by the loss of contact with reality and deterioration of normal social functioning
psychotic disorder
means mind
thym/o
marked by a lack of responsiveness, stupor, and a tendency to remain in a fixed posture
catatonic behavior
a false personal belief that is maintained despite obvious proof or evidence to the contrary
delusion
a sensory perception experienced in the absence of an external stimulation
hallucination
a psychotic disorder usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances
schizophrenia
characterized by physical complaints or concerns about one’s body that are out of proportion to any physical findings or disease
somatoform disorder
characterized by serious temporary or ongoing changes in function, such as paralysis or blindness, that are triggered by psychological factors rather than any physical cause
conversion disorder
characterized by fearing that one has a serious illness despite appropriate medical evaluation and reassurance
hypochondriasis
characterized by the intentional creation of false or grossly exaggerated physical or psychological symptoms
malingering
the addictive use of tobacco, alcohol, medications, or illegal drugs
substance abuse
a chronic alcohol dependence with specific signs and symptoms upon withdrawal
alcoholism
a disorder involving sudden and severe mental changes or seizures caused by abruptly stopping the use of alcohol
delirium tremens
administered to prevent or relieve depression
antidepressant
administered to treat symptoms of severe disorders of thinking and mood that are associated with neurological and psychiatric illness such as schizophrenia, mania, and delusional disorders
antipsychotic drug
means having an affinity for
-tropic
administered to temporarily relieve anxiety and to reduce tension
anxiolytic drug
means anxiety
anxi/o
used to treat mood instability and bipolar disorders
mood stabilizing drugs
acts primarily on the CNS, where it produces temporary changes affecting the mind, emotions, and behavior. used on pain, narcolepsy, and attention disorders
psychotropic drug
works by increasing activity in certain areas of the brain to increase concentration and wakefulness
stimulant
based on the idea that mental disorders have underlying causes stemming from childhood and can only be overcome by gaining insight into one’s feelings and patterns of behavior
psychoanalysis
focuses on changing behavior by identifying problem behaviors, replacing them with appropriate behaviors, and using rewards or other consequences to make the changes
behavioral therapy
focuses on changing cognitions or thoughts that are affecting a person’s emotions and actions
cognitive therapy
the use of hypnosis to produce a relaxed state of focused attention in which the patient may be more willing to believe and act on suggestions
hypnotherapy
