Nervous System Diagnostic Terms Flashcards
agnosia
any of many types of loss of neurologic function involving interpretation of sensory information
astereognosis
inability to judge the form of an object by touch
atopognosis
inability to locate a sensation properly such as an inability to locate a point touched on the body
Alzheimer disease
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
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
condition of progressive deterioration of motor nerve cells resulting in total loss of voluntary muscle control
cerebrovascular disease
disorder resulting from a change within one or more blood vessels in the brain
cerebral arteriosclerosis
hardening of the arteries in the brain
cerebral atherosclerosis
condition of lipid buildup within the blood vessels of the brain
cerebral aneurysm
dilation of a blood vessel in the brain
cerebral embolism
obstruction of a blood vessel in the brain by an embolus transported through circulation
cerebral thrombosis
presence of a stationary clot in a blood vessel of the brain
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)
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
stroke
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
transient ischemic attack (TIA)
brief episode of loss of blood flow to the brain, usually caused by a partial occlusion that results in temporary neurologic deficit
tonic clonic seizure
stiffening-jerking; a major motor seizure involving all muscle groups
absence seizure
seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor involvement
partial seizure
seizure involving only limited areas of the brain with localized symptoms
glioma
tumor of neuroglia (ependymal cells, oligodendrocyte, astrocytes, and microglia) graded according to the degree of malignancy tests
herniated disc
protrusion of a degenerated or fragmented intervertebral disc so that the nucleus pulposus protrudes causing compression on the spinal nerve root
huntington disease (HD)
hereditary disease of the central nervous system characterized by bizarre involuntary body movements and progressive dementia
hydrocephalus
abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain because of developmental problems. infection or tumor
meningioma
benign tumor of the coverings of the brain
meningitis
inflammation of the meninges
migraine headache
paroxysmal attacks of mostly unilateral, headache, often accompanied by disordered vision, nausea, or vomiting, lasting hours or days and caused by dilation of arteries
multiple sclerosis (MS)
disease of the central nervous system characterized by the demyelination of nerve fibers with episodes of neurologic dysfunction followed by recovery
myasthenia gravis
autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction, causing a progressive decrease in muscle strength; activity resumes and strength returns after a period of rest
myelitis
inflammation of the spinal cord
neural tube defects
congenital deformities of the brain and spinal cord caused by incomplete development of the neural tube, the embryonic structure that forms the nervous system
anencephaly
defect in closure of the cephalic portion of the neural tube that results in incomplete development of the brain and bones of the skull
spina bifida
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
parkinson disease
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
poliomyelitis
inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord caused by a virus often resulting in spinal and muscle deformity and paralysis
polyneuritis
inflammation involving 2 or more nerves often caused by a nutritional deficiency
