Nervous System Diagnostic Terms

Question 1

agnosia

Answer 1

any of many types of loss of neurologic function involving interpretation of sensory information

Question 2

astereognosis

Answer 2

inability to judge the form of an object by touch

Question 3

atopognosis

Answer 3

inability to locate a sensation properly such as an inability to locate a point touched on the body

Question 4

Alzheimer disease

Answer 4

disease of structural changes in the brain resulting in an irreversible deterioration that progresses from forgetfulness and disorientation to loss of al intellectual functions, total disability and death

Question 5

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Answer 5

condition of progressive deterioration of motor nerve cells resulting in total loss of voluntary muscle control

Question 6

cerebrovascular disease

Answer 6

disorder resulting from a change within one or more blood vessels in the brain

Question 7

cerebral arteriosclerosis

Answer 7

hardening of the arteries in the brain

Question 8

cerebral atherosclerosis

Answer 8

condition of lipid buildup within the blood vessels of the brain

Question 9

cerebral aneurysm

Answer 9

dilation of a blood vessel in the brain

Question 10

cerebral embolism

Answer 10

obstruction of a blood vessel in the brain by an embolus transported through circulation

Question 11

cerebral thrombosis

Answer 11

presence of a stationary clot in a blood vessel of the brain

Question 12

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Answer 12

damage to the brain caused by cerebrovascular disease such as occlusion of a blood vessel by a thrombus or embolus or intracranial hemorrhage after rupture of an aneurysm

Question 13

stroke

Answer 13

damage to the brain caused by cerebrovascular disease such as occlusion of a blood vessel by a thrombus or embolus or intracranial hemorrhage after rupture of an aneurysm

Question 14

transient ischemic attack (TIA)

Answer 14

brief episode of loss of blood flow to the brain, usually caused by a partial occlusion that results in temporary neurologic deficit

Question 15

tonic clonic seizure

Answer 15

stiffening-jerking; a major motor seizure involving all muscle groups

Question 16

absence seizure

Answer 16

seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor involvement

Question 17

partial seizure

Answer 17

seizure involving only limited areas of the brain with localized symptoms

Question 18

glioma

Answer 18

tumor of neuroglia (ependymal cells, oligodendrocyte, astrocytes, and microglia) graded according to the degree of malignancy tests

Question 19

herniated disc

Answer 19

protrusion of a degenerated or fragmented intervertebral disc so that the nucleus pulposus protrudes causing compression on the spinal nerve root

Question 20

huntington disease (HD)

Answer 20

hereditary disease of the central nervous system characterized by bizarre involuntary body movements and progressive dementia

Question 21

hydrocephalus

Answer 21

abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain because of developmental problems. infection or tumor

Question 22

meningioma

Answer 22

benign tumor of the coverings of the brain

Question 23

meningitis

Answer 23

inflammation of the meninges

Question 24

migraine headache

Answer 24

paroxysmal attacks of mostly unilateral, headache, often accompanied by disordered vision, nausea, or vomiting, lasting hours or days and caused by dilation of arteries

Question 25

multiple sclerosis (MS)

Answer 25

disease of the central nervous system characterized by the demyelination of nerve fibers with episodes of neurologic dysfunction followed by recovery

Question 26

myasthenia gravis

Answer 26

autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction, causing a progressive decrease in muscle strength; activity resumes and strength returns after a period of rest

Question 27

myelitis

Answer 27

inflammation of the spinal cord

Question 28

neural tube defects

Answer 28

congenital deformities of the brain and spinal cord caused by incomplete development of the neural tube, the embryonic structure that forms the nervous system

Question 29

anencephaly

Answer 29

defect in closure of the cephalic portion of the neural tube that results in incomplete development of the brain and bones of the skull

Question 30

spina bifida

Answer 30

defect in development of the spinal column characterized by the absence of vertebral arches, often resulting in pouching of the meninges or of the meninges and spinal cord

Question 31

parkinson disease

Answer 31

condition of slowly progressive degeneration in an area of the brainstem resulting in a decrease of dopamine characterized by tremor, rigidity of muscles and slow movements

Question 32

poliomyelitis

Answer 32

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

Question 33

polyneuritis

Answer 33

inflammation involving 2 or more nerves often caused by a nutritional deficiency