neurological terminology Flashcards
central nervous system
brain and spinal cord; “processing center” for entire nervous system; control workings of the body
paresthesisas
a burning or prickling sensation (hands, arms, legs, feet)
vestibulocholear nerve
CN 8; hearing and maintaining balance
peripheral nervous system
part outside brain and spinal cord; sends and receives information to/fr body to the brain
paresis
a condition in which muscle movement has become weakened or impaired
glossopharyngeal nerve
CN 9; throat sensation, taste, and swallowing
cerebellum
in back of head between cerebrum and brain stem; controls balance for walking and standing
paralysis
the loss of the ability to move some or all of your body
vagus nerve
CN 10; movement, sensation, and abdominal organs
cerebrum
largest part of the brain and divided into two hemispheres responsible for muscle function, speech, thought, emotions, reading, writing, and learning
incontinence
inability to control the flow of urine from the bladder
spinal accessory nerve
CN 11; neck movement
brainstem
connects cerebrum to spinal cord; midbrain, pons, medulla oblongata; regulates certain involuntary actions
seizure
sudden, uncontrolled body movements and changes in behavior that occur because of abnormal electrical activity in the brain
hypoglossal nerve
CN 12; movement of tongue
spinal cord
base of skull to center of back; sends motor commands from brain to body, sensory info from body to brain, and coordinate reflexes
olfactory nerve
CN 1; smell
flaccidity
paralysis where the muscle becomes soft and leads to passive stretching; loss of muscle tone
optic nerve
CN 2; vision
spasticity
stiff/rigid muscles
spinal nerves
mixed nerves that interact directly with the spinal cord to modulate motor and sensory information from the body’s periphery
oculomotor nerve
CN 3; eye movement and pupil reflex
rigidity
continuous involuntary sustained muscle contraction
dermatome
the area of sensory nerves near the skin that are supplied by a specific spinal nerve root
trochlear nerve
CN 4; eye movements
involuntary movements
occurs when you move your body in an uncontrollable and unintended way
disequilibrium
a sensation of impending fall or of the need to obtain external assistance for proper locomotion
trigeminal nerve
CN 5; face sensation and chewing
ataxia
poor muscle control that causes clumsy voluntary movements
vertigo
a sensation of motion or spinning that is often described as dizziness
abducens nerve
CN 6; eye movements (lateral, abduction)
neuropathy
a nerve problem that causes pain, numbness, tingling, swelling, or muscle weakness in different parts of the body
presyncope
the sensation of feeling faint without actually fainting
facial nerve
CN 7; face movement and taste
reflex arc
a special type of neural circuit that begins with a sensory neuron at a receptor (e.g., a pain receptor in the fingertip) and ends with a motor neuron at an effector (e.g., a skeletal muscle)
biceps reflex
an involuntary contraction of the biceps muscle of the arm produced by tapping upon its tendon
triceps reflex
a reflex as it elicits involuntary contraction of the triceps brachii muscle
brachioradialis reflex
a deep tendon reflex involving the C5 and C6 nerve roots through its innervation by the radial nerve
achilles reflex
a form of stretch reflex in which the foot jerks towards its plantar surface when the Achilles tendon is tapped while the foot is dorsiflexed
babinski (plantar) reflex
occurs after the sole of the foot has been firmly stroked. the big toe then moves upward or toward the top surface of the foot. the other toes fan out. this reflex is normal in children up to 2 years old. it disappears as the child gets older
pupillary reflex
a reflex reaction wherein the pupil constricts in response to the light stimulation of the retina
romberg test
a simple physical test to see if you have balance problems that are related to proprioception
bell’s palsy
a neurological disorder that causes paralysis or weakness on one side of the face
nystagmus
fast, uncontrollable movements of the eyes that may be: side to side (horizontal nystagmus) up and down (vertical nystagmus)
tremors
a neurological disorder that causes shaking movements in one or more parts of your body, most often in your hands
aura
a simple focal seizure, also known as a partial seizure
dysarthria
where you have difficulty speaking because the muscles you use for speech are weak
dysphagia
swallowing difficulties
clonus
involuntary and rhythmic muscle contractions caused by a permanent lesion in descending motor neurons
cerebrovascular accident (CVA)/stroke
a loss of blood flow to part of the brain, which damages brain tissue
