Nervous Diagnostic, Symptomatic, and Related Terms

Question 0

asthenia

Answer 0

weakness, debility, loss of strength

characteristic of multiple sclerosis

Question 1

agnosia

Answer 1

inability to comprehend auditory, visual, spatial, olfactory, or other sensations even though the sensory sphere is intact
the type of agnosia is usually identified by the sense or senses affected, such as visual agnosia
common in parietal lobe tumors

Question 2

ataxia

Answer 2

lack of muscle coordination in the execution of voluntary movement
Ataxia may be the result of head injury, stroke, MS, alcoholism, or a variety of hereditary disorders

Question 3

aura

Answer 3

premonitory awareness of an approaching physical or mental disorder; peculiar sensation that precedes seizures.

Question 4

closed head trauma

Answer 4

injury to the head in which the dura mater remains intact and brain tissue is not exposed.
in a closed head trauma, the injury site may occur at the impact site, where the brain hits the inside of the skull (coup) or at the rebound site, where the opposite side of the brain strikes the skull (countrecoup)

Question 5

coma

Answer 5

abnormally deep unconsciousness with absence of voluntary response to stimuli

Question 6

concussion

Answer 6

injury to the brain, occasionally with transient loss of consciousness as a result of injury or trauma to the head
delayed symptoms of concussion may include headache, nausea, vomiting, and blurred vision

Question 7

convulsion

Answer 7

any sudden and violent contraction of one or more muscles

Question 8

dementia

Answer 8

broad term that refers to cognitive deficit, including memory impairment

Question 9

dyslexia

Answer 9

inability to lean and process written language despite adequate intelligence, sensory ability, and exposure

Question 10

Guillain-Barré syndrome

Answer 10

autoimmune condition that causes acute inflammation of the peripheral nerves in which myelin sheaths on the axons are destroyed, resulting in decreased nerve impulses
this disease usually follows a viral gastrointestinal or respiratory infection, stress, or trauma. The muscle weakness involves the entire body and the patient may temporarily require respiratory support until the inflammation sugsides.

Question 11

herpes zoster

Answer 11

painful, acute infectious disease of the posterior root ganglia of only a few segments of the spinal or cranial nerves; also called shingles
caused by the same organism (varicella-zoster) that causes chickenpox in children.
disease is self limiting and usually resolves in 10 days to five weeks

Question 12

huntington chorea

Answer 12

inherited disease of the CNS characterized by quick, involuntary movements, speech disturbances, and mental deterioration
onset of Huntington chorea is commonly between ages 30 and 50

Question 13

hydrrocephalus

Answer 13

accumulation of fluid in the ventricles of the brain, causing increased intracranial pressure (ICP), thinning of brain tissue, and separation of cranial bones

Question 14

neurosis

Answer 14

a nonpsychotic mental illness that triggers feelings of distress and anxiety and impairs normal behavior

Question 15

palsy

Answer 15

paralysis, usually partial, and commonly characterized by weakness and shaking or uncontrolled tremor
Bell: facial paralysis caused by a functional disorder of the seventh cranial nerve, associated with herpes virus. Bell palsy is self-limiting and usually spontaneously resolves in 3-5 weeks.
Cerebral: type of paralysis that affects movement and body position and, and, sometimes, speech and learning ability.
CP commonly occurs as a result of trauma to the brain during the birthing process

Question 16

spina bifida

Answer 16

defect in which the neural tube (tissue that forms the brain and spinal cord in the fetus) fails to close during embryogenesis
includes: meningocele, meningomyelocele, and occulta

Question 17

meningocele

Answer 17

form of spina bifida in which the spinal cord develops properly but the meninges protrude through the spine

Question 18

myelomeningocele

Answer 18

most severe form of spina bifida in which the spinal cord and meninges protrude through the spine

Question 19

occulta

Answer 19

form of spina bifida in which one or more vertebra are malformed and the spinal cord is covered with a layer of skin

Question 20

parasthesia

Answer 20

sensation of numbness, prickling, tingling, or heightened sensitivity
parasthesia can be caused by disorder affecting the CNS, such as stroke, transient ischemic attack, MS, transverse myelitis, and encephalitis

Question 21

poliomyelitis

Answer 21

inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord caused by a virus, commonly resulting in spinal and muscle deformity and paralysis.

Question 22

Reye syndrome

Answer 22

acute encephalopathy and fatty infiltration of the brain, liver and, possibly, the pancreas, heart, kidney, spleen, and lymph nodes.
usually seen in children younger than age 15 who had an acute viral infection. Mortality in Reye may be as high as 80%. The use of aspirin by children experiencing chickenpox or influenza may induce Reye syndrome

Question 23

sciatica

Answer 23

severe pain in the leg along the course of the sciatic nerve felt at the base of the spine, down the thigh, and radiating down the leg due to compressed nerve

Question 24

syncope

Answer 24

temporary loss of consciousness due to the sudden decline of blood flow to the brain; also called fainting

Question 25

vasovagal syncope

Answer 25

syncope due to a drop in blood pressure brought on by the response of the nervous system to abrupt emotional stress, pain, or trauma

Question 26

transient ischemic attack

Answer 26

temporary interference with blood supply to the brain lasting from a few minutes to a few hours.
Symptoms of TIA may include numbness or weakness in the extremities, especially on one side of the body; confusion of difficulty in talking or understanding speech; visual impairment; dizziness; loss of balance; and difficulty walking.