Nervous System Flashcards
central nervous system contains:
the brain and the spinal cord
peripheral nervous system contains:
the nerves that extend from the brain and spinal cord to the tissues of the body
somatic system
This system is voluntary in nature. These nerves collect information from and return instructions to the skin, muscles, and joints
autonomic system
Mostly involuntary functions are con- trolled by this system as sensory information from the internal environment is sent to the CNS, and, in return, motor impulses from the CNS are sent to involuntary muscles: the heart, glands, and organs.
Parenchymal cells, or neurons
the cells that carry out the work of the neuron system
Stromal cells, or glia
the cells that provide a supportive function
The brain is divided into four parts:
the cerebrum, the cerebellum, the diencephalon, and the brain stem
frontal lobe
contains the functions of speech and the motor area that controls voluntary movement on the contralateral side of the body
temporal lobe
contains the auditory and olfactory areas
parietal lobe
sensations of touch and taste
occipital lobe
responsible for vision
cerebellum
coordinates voluntary movement but is involuntary in its function
The diencephalon is composed of:
the thalamus and the hypothalamus
thalamus
responsible for relaying sensory information (with the exception of smell) and translating it into sensations of pain, temperature, and touch
hypothalamus
activates, integrates, and controls the peripheral autonomic nervous system (ANS), along with many functions, such as body temperature, sleep, and appetite
The brain stem is composed of three main parts:
midbrain, pons, and medulla oblongata
midbrain
connects the pons and cerebellum with the hemispheres of the cerebrum
pons
serves as a bridge between the medulla oblongata and the cerebrum
medulla oblongata
regulates heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing
The spinal cord extends from:
the medulla oblongata to the first lumbar vertebra
autonomic nervous system (ANS) consists of:
nerves that regulate involuntary function
sympathetic nervous system is capable of:
producing a “fight-or- flight” response
parasympathetic nervous system tends to do the opposite of the sympathetic nervous system by:
slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, increasing digestive functions, and decreasing adrenal and sweat gland activity
somat/o // somatic
body
encephal/o
brain
rhiz/o, radicul/o // radicular
nerve root
cord/o, myel/o // cordal
spinal cord
-cyte
cell
-glia
glue
-on
structure
-stasis
stopping, controlling
aphasia
Lack or impairment of the ability to form or understand speech.
athetosis
Continuous, involuntary, slow, writhing movement of the extremities
dysphagia
Condition of difficulty with swallowing
dyssomnia
Disorders of the sleep-wake cycles
fasciculation
Involuntary contraction of small, local muscles
hypokinesia
Decrease in normal movement; may be due to paralysis
paresthesia
Feeling of prickling, burning, or numbness
syncope
Fainting
ageusia
Absence of the ability to taste
agnosia
Inability to recognize objects visually, auditorily, or with other senses
agraphia
Inability to write.
anosmia
Lack of sense of smell
Parageusia
an abnormal sense of taste or a bad taste in the mouth
apraxia
inability to perform purposeful movements or to use objects appropriately
Huntington chorea
Inherited disorder that manifests itself in adulthood as a progressive loss of neural control, uncontrollable jerking movements, and dementia
hydrocephalus
Condition of abnormal accumulation of fluid in the ventricles of the brain
contusion, cerebral
Head injury of sufficient force to bruise the brain
hematoma
Localized collection of blood, usually clotted, in an organ, tissue, or space, due to a break in the wall of a blood vessel
herniated intervertebral disk (HIVD)
A displacement of an intervertebral disk so that it presses on a nerve, causing pain and/or numbness
cerebral palsy
Motor function disorder as a result of permanent, nonprogressive brain defect or lesion caused perinatally. Neural deficits may include paralysis, ataxia, athetosis, seizures, and/or impairment of sensory functions.
spina bifida
Condition in which the spinal column has an abnormal opening that allows protrusion of the meninges and/or the spinal cord
Tay-Sachs disease
Inherited disease that occurs mainly in people of Eastern European Jewish origin; caused by an enzyme deficiency, which results in CNS deterioration
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Degenerative, fatal disease of the motor neurons, in which patients exhibit progressive muscle weakness and atrophy; also called Lou Gehrig disease
Alzheimer disease
Progressive, neurodegenerative disease in which patients exhibit an impairment of cognitive functioning
Guillain-Barré syndrome
Autoimmune disorder of acute polyneuritis producing profound myasthenia (muscle weakness) that may lead to paralysis
multiple sclerosis (MS)
Neurodegenerative disease characterized by destruction of the myelin sheaths on the CNS neurons (demyelination) and their abnormal replacement by the gradual accumulation of hardened plaques
Parkinson disease
Progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by tremors, fasciculations, slow shuffling gait, hypokinesia, dysphasia, and dysphagia
trigeminal neuralgia
Disorder of the fifth cranial nerve (trigemina) characterized by stabbing pain that radiates along the nerve. Also called tic douloureux or prosopalgia
Bell palsy
Paralysis of the facial nerve
epilepsy
Group of disorders characterized by some or all of the following: recurrent seizures, sensory disturbances, abnormal behavior, and/or loss of consciousness
Tourette syndrome
Abnormal condition characterized by facial grimaces, tics, involuntary arm and shoulder movements, and involuntary vocalizations, including coprolalia (kop pro LAYL yah) (the use of vulgar, obscene, or sacrilegious language)
encephalitis
Inflammation of the brain, most frequently caused by a virus transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito
meningitis
Any infection or inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, most commonly due to viral infection, although more severe strains are bacterial or fungal in nature
neuritis
Inflammation of the nerves
poliomyelitis
Inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord caused by a poliovirus
polyneuritis
Inflammation of several peripheral nerves
radiculitis
Inflammation of the root of a spinal nerve
sciatica
Inflammation of the sciatic nerve. Symptoms include pain and tenderness along the path of the nerve through the thigh and leg
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
Ischemia of cerebral tissue due to an occlusion (blockage) from a thrombus (pl. thrombi) or embolus (pl. emboli), or as a result of a cerebral hemorrhage
diplegia
Paralysis of the same body part on both sides of the body
hemiparesis
Muscular weakness or slight paralysis on the left or right side of the body
hemiplegia
Paralysis on the left or right side of the body
monoparesis
Weakness or slight paralysis of one limb on the left or right side of the body
monoplegia
Paralysis of one limb on the left or right side of the body
paraparesis
Slight paralysis of the lower limbs and trunk
paraplegia
Paralysis of the lower limbs and trunk
quadriparesis
Weakness or slight paralysis of the arms, legs, and trunk
quadriplegia
Paralysis of arms, legs, and trunk
meningioma
Slow growing, usually benign tumor of the meninges. Although benign, may cause problems because of their size and location
neurofibroma
Benign fibrous tumors composed of nervous tissue
neuroma
Benign tumor of the nerves
astrocytoma
Tumor arising from star-shaped glial cells that is malignant in higher grades
medulloblastoma
Tumor arising from embryonic tissue in the cerebellum. Most commonly seen in children.
neuroblastoma
Highly malignant tumor arising from either the ANS or the adrenal medulla. Usually affects children younger than 10 years old
cerebral angiography
X-ray of the cerebral arteries, including the internal carotids, taken after the injection of a contrast medium (Fig. 12-22); also called cerebral arteriography
computed tomography (CT) scan
Transverse sections of the CNS are imaged, sometimes after the injection of a contrast medium (unless there is suspected bleeding). Used to diagnose strokes, edema, tumors, and hemorrhage resulting from trauma.
echoencephalography
Sonography exam of the brain, usually done only on newborns, because sound waves do not readily penetrate mature bone.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Medical imaging that uses radiofrequency pulses in a powerful magnetic field. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) is imaging of the carotid arteries using injected contrast agents.
myelography
X-ray of the spinal canal after the introduction of a radiopaque substance
positron emission tomography (PET)
Use of radionuclides to visualize brain function. Measurements can be taken of blood flow, volume, and oxygen and glucose uptake, enabling radiologists to determine the functional characteristics of specific parts of the brain
single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
An injection of a radioactive sugar substance that is metabolized by the brain, which is then scanned for abnormalities
electroencephalography (EEG)
Recording of the electrical activity of the brain. May be used in the diagnosis of epilepsy, infection, and coma
evoked potential (EP)
Electrical response from the brain stem or cerebral cortex that is produced in response to specific stimuli. This results in a distinctive pattern on an EEG
multiple sleep latency test (MSLT)
Test that consists of a series of short, daytime naps in the sleep lab to measure daytime sleepiness and how fast the patient falls asleep; used to diagnose or rule out narcolepsy
nerve conduction test
Test of the functioning of peripheral nerves
Polysomnography (PSG)
Measurement and record of a number of functions while the patient is asleep (e.g., cardiac, muscular, brain, ocular, and respiratory functions). Most often used to diagnose sleep apnea
Babinski reflex
in normal conditions, the dorsiflexion of the great toe when the plantar surface of the sole is stimulated.
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis
Examination of fluid from the CNS to detect pathogens and abnormalities.
deep tendon reflex (DTR)
Assessment of an automatic motor response by striking a tendon.
gait assessment rating scale (GARS)
inventory of 16 aspects of gait (how one walks) to determine abnormalities.
lumbar puncture (LP)
Procedure to aspirate CSF from the lumbar subarachnoid space.
