Medical Terminology for Health Professions Part 10 Flashcards
Lethargy
Lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy.
Meningitis
Inflammation of the meninges of the brain and spinal cord.
Meningocele
Congenital herniation of the meninges through a defect in the skull or spinal column.
Migraine Headache
Characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head.
Multiple Sclerosis
Progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation resulting in scattered patches of demyelinated nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.
Myelitis
Inflammation of the spinal cord.
Myelography
Radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture.
Neurotransmitters
Chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Characterized by recurrent obsessions and/or compulsions.
Panic Attack
Unexpected sudden experience of fear in the absence of danger, accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, sweating, nausea, feelings of unreality, choking sensations, or a combination of these.
Paresthesia
Burning or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in other parts of the body.
Parkinson’s Disease
Chronic, degenerative central nervous disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, and a slow or shuffling gait.
Peripheral Neuropathy
Disorder of the peripheral nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
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, helpless ness, or horror.
Reye’s Syndrome
Potentially serious or deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion.
Sciatica
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve that results in pain, burning, and tingling along the course of the affected nerve through the thigh, leg, and foot.
Seizure
Sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects how a person feels or acts for a short time.
Shaken Baby Syndrome
Results of a child being violently shaken by someone. Can cause brain injury, blinds, fractures, seizures, paralysis, and death.
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Characterized by severe lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve. These sudden, intense, brief attacks of sharp pain affect the cheek, lips, and gums only on the side of the face innervated by the affected nerve.
Nervous System
Consists of the nerves, brain, spinal cord, and sensory organs. Controls all bodily activities.
Sensory Organs
Consists of the eyes, ears, nose, skin, and tongue.
Central Nervous System
Receive and process information, and to regulate all bodily activity. Include the brain and spinal cord.
Peripheral Nervous System
Transmit nerve signals to and from the central nervous system.
Neurons
Basic cells of the nervous system that allow different parts of the body to communicate with each other.
Nerve
One or more bundles of neurons that connect the brain and the spinal cord with other parts of the body.
Ascending Nerve Tracts
Carry nerve impulses towards the brain.
Descending Nerve Tracts
Carry nerve impulses away from the brain.
Ganglion
Nerve center made up of a cluster of nerve cell bodies outside the central nervous.
Innervation
Supply of nerves to a specific body part.
Receptors
Sites in the sensory organs that receive external stimulation.
Reflex
Automatic involuntary response to some change, either inside or outside the body.
Afferent Neurons
Neurons emerge from the sensory organs and the skin to carry the impulses from the sensory organs toward the brain and spinal cord. Also known as sensory neurons.
Connecting Neurons
Neurons link afferent and efferent neurons. Also known as Associative neurons.
Efferent Neurons
Neurons carry impulses away from the brain and spinal cord and toward the muscles and glands. Also known as motor neurons.
Synapse
Space between two neurons or between a neuron and a receptor organ.
Acetylcholine
Released at some synapses in the spinal cord and at neuromuscular junctions; it influences muscle action.
Dopamine
Released within the brain. Believed to be involved in mood and though disorders and in abnormal movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease.
Endorphins
Naturally occurring substances that are produced by the brain to help relieve pain.
Norepinephrine
Affects alertness and arousal, increasing blood pressure and heart rate, and releasing stores of glucose in response to stress.
Glial Cells
Provide support and protection for neurons, and their four main functions are to surround neurons and hold them in place, supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons, to insulate one neuron from another, and to destroy and remove dead neurons.
Myelin Sheath
Protective covering made up of glial cells.
White Matter
Portion of the nerve fibers that are myelinated.
Gray Matter
Portion of the nerve fibers that are unmyelinated.
Meninges
System of membranes that enclose the brain and spinal cord.
Cerebrospinal Fluid
Clear, colorless, and watery fluid that flows throughout the brain and around the spinal cord. Cool and cushion these organs from shock or injury. Nourish the brain and spinal cord by transporting nutrients and chemical messengers to these tissues.
Cerebrum
Largest and uppermost portion of the brain. Responsible for all thought, judgement, memory, and emotion, as well as for controlling and integrating motor and sensory functions.
Frontal Lobe
Controls skilled motor functions, memory, and behavior.
Parietal Lobe
Receives and interprets nerve impulses from sensory receptors in the tongue, skin, and muscles.
Occipital Lobe
Controls eyesight.
Temporal Lobe
Controls the senses of hearing and smell, and the ability to create, store, and access new information.
Spinal Cord
Long fragile tube-like structure that begins at the end of the brainstem and continues down almost to the bottom of the spinal column. Contains all the nerves that affect the limbs and lower part of the body, and serves as the pathway for impulses traveling to and from the brain. Surrounded an protected by cerebrospinal fluid and the meninges.
Anesthesiologist
Specializes in administering anesthetic agents before and during surgery.
Neurologist
Specializes in diagnosing and treating diseases and disorders of the nervous system.
Neurosurgeon
Specializes in surgery of the nervous system
Psychiatrist
Specializes in the diagnosing and treating chemical dependencies, emotional problems, and mental illness.
Psychologist
Specialist evaluates and treats emotional problems and mental illness.
Tetanus
An acute and potentially fatal infection of the central nervous system caused by a toxin produced by the tetanus bacteria. Also known as lockjaw.
Amnesia
Memory disturbance characterized by a total or partial inability to recall past experiences.
Concussion
Violent shaking up or jarring of the brain.
Cerebral Contusion
Bruising of the brain tissue as the result of a head injury that causes the brain to bounce against the rigid bone of the skull.
Cranial Hematoma
Collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain.
Levels Of Consciousness
Measurement of response to arousal and stimulus.
Stupor
Unresponsive state from which a person can be aroused only briefly despite vigorous, repeated attempts.
Syncope
Brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain.
Brain Tumor
Abnormal growth located inside the skull.
Intracranial Pressure
Amount of pressure inside the skull.
Cerebrovascular Accident
Condition is damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the bran is disrupted because a blood vessel is either blocked or has ruptured.
Transient Ischemic Attack
Sometimes referred to as a mini-stroke, temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain.
Aphasia
Caused by brain damage associated with a stroke, loss of the ability to speak, write and/or comprehend the written or spoken word.
Hemorrhagic Stroke
Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks.
Narcolepsy
Deep sleep disorder consisting of sudden and uncontrollable brief episodes of falling during the day.
Poliomyelitis
Highly contagious viral infections of the brainstem
Lumbar Puncture
Process of obtaining a sample of cerebrospinal fluid by inserting a needle into the subarachnoid space of the lumbar region to withdraw fluid
General Anesthetic
Involves the total loss of body sensation and consciousness induced by anesthetic agents administered primarily by inhalation or intravenous injection.
Local Anesthetic
Causes the loss of sensation in a limited area by injection an anesthetic solution near that area.