Neurologic Vocab

Question 1

delirium

Answer 1

acute disorientation, inattentive, incoherent, impaired recent memory, agitated, hallucinating

Question 2

dysphagia

Answer 2

difficulty swallowing

Question 3

dysphonia

Answer 3

abnormal pitch, volume, hoarseness/whispered

Question 4

dysarthria

Answer 4

distorted and unintelligible pronunciation

Question 5

dysphasia

Answer 5

receptive/expressive/global language disturbance

Question 6

aphasia

Answer 6

receptive/expressive/global loss of language

Question 7

receptive aphasia

Answer 7

able to speak may not make sense (wernicke)

Question 8

expressive aphasia

Answer 8

unable to speak (broca)

Question 9

global aphasia

Answer 9

both combined

Question 10

dyskinesia

Answer 10

slow voluntary movement

Question 11

paresthesia

Answer 11

abnormal sensation usually felt worse in hands and feet

- burning, prickling, tingling, numbness, skin crawling/itching (caused by peripheral neuropathy)

Question 12

paresis

Answer 12

weakness of muscles

Question 13

paralysis

Answer 13

loss of motor function

Question 14

hemiplegia

Answer 14

paralysis of one side of body

Question 15

paraplegia

Answer 15

paralysis of lower body

Question 16

quadriplegia

Answer 16

complete loss of muscle tone and paralysis of all extremities

Question 17

flaccidity

Answer 17

hypotonia, muscle feels limp, soft, flabby

Question 18

spasticity

Answer 18

hypertonia, resistance to passive extension

Question 19

clasp-knife rigidity

Answer 19

resistance that may suddenly give way

Question 20

lead-pipe rigidity

Answer 20

constant resistance to passive movement

Question 21

cogwheel rigidity

Answer 21

resistance to release by degrees of passive extension

Question 22

decorticate rigidity

Answer 22

lesion of cerebral cortex

• flexion of upper extremities, adduction of arm tightly against thorax
• extension, internal rotation and plantar flexion of lower extremities

Question 23

decerebrate rigidity

Answer 23

lesion in rubrospinal tract

• extension of upper and lower extremities, plantar flexion
• teeth clenched; hyperextended neck/back

Question 24

fasiculation

Answer 24

rapid continuous twitching of resting muscle

Question 25

myoclonus

Answer 25

single sudden jerky movement

• regular jerky movement (hiccups)
• severe: grand-mal seizure

Question 26

chorea

Answer 26

jerky, involuntary, purposeless, nonrepetitive movement

Question 27

tic

Answer 27

involuntary, compulsive, repetitive twitching of muscle group

Question 28

tremor

Answer 28

contraction of opposing muscle group, rhythmic movement of joints

Question 29

resting tremor

Answer 29

when muscles are at rest and supported again gravity, “pill-rolling tremor” improves with voluntary movement

Question 30

intention tremor

Answer 30

worse with voluntary movement

Question 31

presyncope

Answer 31

lightheaded, feeling faint

Question 32

vertigo

Answer 32

rotational spinning of person/room (inner ear disease, meniere disease)

Question 33

disequilibrium

Answer 33

poor balance, shaking, instability (neuro/sensory)

Question 34

euphoria

Answer 34

excessive well-being, inappropriate/unusual elation (pathological)

Question 35

flat effect

Answer 35

lack of emotional response

Question 36

elation

Answer 36

joy, increased motor activity (non pathological)

Question 37

irritability

Answer 37

easily provoked, impatient

Question 38

ambivalence

Answer 38

the existence of opposing emotions

Question 39

labile

Answer 39

rapidly shifting/changing

Question 40

depersonalization

Answer 40

loss of identity

Question 41

ataxia

Answer 41

lack of coordination and balance