Neuro Terminology Flashcards
Akinesia
inability to initiate movement; commonly seen in Parkinson’s patients
Asthenia
generalized weakness, typically secondary to cerebellar pathology
Ataxia
inability to perform coordinated movements
Athetosis
condition that presents with involuntary movements combined with instability of posture
peripheral movements occur without central stability
Chorea
sudden, random, and involuntary movements
Dysdiadochokinesia
inability to perform rapidly alternating movements
Dysmetria
inability to control the range of movement and the force of muscular activity
Dystonia
closely related to athetosis, however, there is a larger axial muscle involvement rather than appendicular muscles
Fasciculation
muscular twitch that is caused by random discharge of lower motor neuron and its muscle fibers; suggests lower motor neuron disease but can be benign
hemiballism
involuntary and violent movement of a large body part
Kinesthesia
ability to perceive the direction and extent of movement of a joint or body part
Lead pipe Rigidity
rigidity where there is uniform and constant resistance to range of motion; often associated with lesions of the basal ganglia
Cogwheel Rigidity
form of rigidity where resistance to movement has a phasic quality to it; often seen with Parkinson’s patients
Rigidity
state of severe hypertonicity where a sustained muscle contraction does not allow for any movement at a specified joint
Tremor
Involuntary, rhythmic, oscillatory movements secondary to basal ganglia lesion
Fluent Aphasia
- word output and speech production are functional
- empty speech/jargon
- speech lacks any substance, use of paraphasias
- lesion usually in Wernicke’s area
Non-Fluent Aphasia
- lesion usually in frontal lobe
- poor word output and dysprosodic speech
- poor articulation and increased effort of speech
Wernicke’s Aphasia
- Also known as receptive aphasia
- comprehension (reading and auditory) is impaired
- good articulation
- impaired writing
- poor naming ability
- motor impairment not typical
Conduction Aphasia
- severe impairment with repetition
- intact fluency, good comprehension
- speech interrupted by word-finding difficulties
- reading is intact but reading is impaired
Broca’s Aphasia
- also known as expressive aphasia
- most common form of aphasia
- intact auditory and reading comprehension
- impaired repetition and naming skills
- frustration with language skill errors
- motor impairment is typical due to proximity to motor cortex
Apraxia
Inability to perform particular purposive actions, as a result of brain damage.
Massed Practice
practice time in a trial is greater than the amount of rest between trials
Distributed Practice
`amount of rest time between trials is equal to or is greater than the amount of practice time for each trial
Constant Practice
practice of a given task under a uniform condition
Variable Practice
practice of a given task under differing conditions
Random Practice
varying practice amongst different tasks
Blocked Practice
Consistent practice of a single task
Whole Training
practice of an entire task
Part Training
practice of an individual component or selected components of a task
Closed System Model
performing a uniform task without having to react to stimuli such as drawing a square or running from one line to another
Open System Model
Patient has to react to outside stimuli to complete a task such as jogging in place and then running to a cone which the therapist points at randomly
Agnosia
inability to interpret information
Agraphesthesia
inability to recognize symbols, letters or numbers traced on the skin
Agraphia
inability to write due to a lesion within the brain and is typically found in combination with aphasia
Alexia
inability to read or comprehend written language secondary to a lesion within the dominant lobe of the brain
Anosognosia
denial or unawareness of one’s illness; often associated with unilateral neglect
Astereognosis
inability to recognize objects by sense of touch
Body Schema
having an understanding of the body as a whole and the relationship of its parts to the whole
Constructional Apraxia
the inability to reproduce geometric figures and designs; person is often unable to visually analyze how to perform a task
Decerebrate Rigidity
characteristic of a corticospinal lesion at the level of the brainstem that results in extension of the trunk and all extremities
Decorticate Rigidity
characteristic of a corticospinal lesion at the level of the diencephalon where the trunk and lower extremities are positioned in extension and the upper extremities are positioned in flexion
Diplopia
double vision
Dysarthria
slurred and impaired speech due to a motor deficit of the tongue or other muscles essential for speech
Dysphagia
inability to properly swallow
Dysprosody
impairment of the rhythm and inflection of speech
Emotional Lability
a characteristic of a right hemisphere infarct where there is an inability to control emotions and outbursts of laughing or crying that are inconsistent with the situation
Fluent Aphasia
characteristic of receptive aphasia where speech produced functional output regarding articulation, but lacks content and is typically dysprosodic using neologistic jargon
Hemiparesis
condition of weakness on one side of the body
Hemiplegia
a condition of paralysis on one side of the body
Homonymous Hemianopsia
loss of the right or left half of the field of vision in both eyes
Ideational Apraxia
inability to formulate an initial motor plan and sequence tasks where the proprioceptive input necessary for movement is impaired
Ideomotor Apraxia
condition where a person plans a movement or task but cannot volitionally perform it
automatic movement may occur, however, a person cannot impose additional movement on command
Neologism
Substitution within a word that is so severe that it makes the word unrecognizable
Perseveration
state of repeatedly performing the same segment of a task or repeatedly saying the same word/phrase without purpose
Synergy
mass movement patterns that are primitive in nature and coupled with spasticity due to brain damage
Myelotomy
a surgical procedure that severs certain tracts within the spinal cord in order to decrease spasticity and improve function
Neurectomy
a surgical removal of a segment of a nerve in order to decrease spasticity and improve function
Neurogenic Non-reflexive Bladder
a bladder that is flaccid as a result of a cause equina or conus medullaris lesion
the sacral reflex arc remains intact
Neurogenic reflexive ballder
bladder empties reflexively for a patient with an injury above the level of T12
Neurologic Level
lowest segment of the spinal cord with intact strength and sensation
muscle group at this level must receive a grade of four or higher
Paraplegia
injuries that occur at the level of the thoracic, lumbar, or sacral spine
Rhizotomy
surgical resection of the sensory component of a spinal nerve in order to decrease spasticity and improve function
Sacral Sparing
an incomplete lesion where some of the innermost tracts remain innervated
characteristics include sensation of the saddle area, movement of the toe flexors, and rectal sphincter contraction
Spinal Shock
a physiologic response that occurs between 30 and 60 minutes after trauma to the spinal cord and can last up to several weeks
presents with total flaccid paralysis and loss of all reflexes below the level of injury
Tenodesis
patients with tetraplegia that do not possess motor control for grasp can utilize the tight finger flexors in combination with wrist extension to produce a form of grasp
Tenotomy
surgical release of a tendon in order to decrease spasticity and improve function
Tetraplegia (quadraplegia)
injuries that occur at the level of the cervical spine and effect all limbs
Zone of preservation
term use to describe poor or trace motor or sensory function for up to 3 levels below the neurologic level of injury
Coma
state of unconsciousness and a level of unresponsiveness to all internal or external stimuli
Stupor
a state of general unresponsiveness with arousal occurring from repeated stimuli
Obtundity
state of consciousness that is characterized by a state of sleep, reduced alertness to arousal, and delayed response to stimuli
Delirium
state of consciousness that is characterized by disorientation, confusion, agitation, and loudness
Clouding of Consciousness
a state of consciousness that is characterized by quiet behavior, confusion, poor attention, and delayed responses
