Neurology (Pt. 3) Flashcards
Alzheimer Disease
Chronic brain condition involving progressive disorientation, speech and gait disturbances, and loss of memory.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Disease with muscular weakness and atrophy due to degeneration of motor neurons of spinal cord; commonly called Lou Gehrig Disease.
Anticonvulsant
Medication to reduce excitability of neurons and to prevent uncontrolled neuron activity associated with seizures.
Brain Tumor
Intracranial mass, either benign or malignant; benign tumor of brain can still be fatal because it will grow and cause pressure on normal brain tissue.
Cerebral Contusion
Bruising of brain from impact; symptoms last longer than 24 hours and include unconsciousness, dizziness, vomiting, unequal pupil size, and shock.
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Nonprogressive brain damage resulting from defect in fetal development or trauma or oxygen deprivation at time of birth.
Cerebrospinal Fluid Analysis
Laboratory examination of clear, watery, colorless fluid from within brain and spinal cord; detects infections or bleeding of brain.
Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA)
Development of brain infarct due to loss in blodd supply to brain, can be caused by ruptured blood vessel (hemorrhage), floating clot (embolus), stationary clot (thrombosis), or compression; extend of damage depends on size and location of infarct and can include dysphasia and hemiplegia; commonly called stroke.
Coma
Profound unconsciouness or stupor resulting from illness or injury.
Concussion
Injury to brain when brain is shaken inside skull because of impact; symptoms last 24 hours or less and can include dizziness, vomiting, unequal pupil size, and shock.
Dementia
Progressive impairment of intellectual function that interferes with performing activities of daily living.
Epilepsy
Recurrent disorder of brain; seizures and loss of consciousness occur as result of uncontrolled neuron electrical activity.
Hydrocephalus
Buildup of cerebrospinal fluid within brain, causing head to be enlarged; treated by creating shunt from brain to abdomen to drain excess fluid.
Lumbar Puncture
Puncture with needle into lumbar vertebral area (usually space between fourth and fifth lumbar vertebrae) to withdraw fluid for examination or for injection of medication, also called spinal puncture or spinal tap.
Migraine
Specific type of headache characterized by severe head pain, sensitivity to light, dizziness, and nausea.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Inflammatory autoimmune disease of central nervous system; immune system damages myelin around neurons and results in extreme weakness and numbness.
Myasthenia Gravis
Autoimmune disease with severe muscular weakness and fatigue due to difficulty of electrical impulse passing across synapse from one nerve to the next.
Paralysis
Temporary or permenant loss of muscle function and movement.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
Use of positive radionuclides to reconstruct brain sections; measurement of oxygen and glucose uptake, cerebral blood flow, and blood volume can be taken; amount of glucose brain uses indicates its metabolic activity.
Seizure
Sudden, uncontrollable onset of symptoms; such as in epileptic seizure.
Absence Seizure
(Petit Mal Seizure) Appears as loss of awareness and absence of activity.
Tonic-clonic Seizure
(Grand Mal Seizure) is characterized by muscle convulsions.
Shingles
Eruption of painful blisters on the body along nerve path; thought to be caused by a herpes zoster virus infection of nerve root.
Spina Bifida
Congenital defect in walls of spinal canal in which two sides of vertebra do not meet or close; can result in meningocele or myelomeningocele.
Spinal Cord Injury
Damage to spinal cord as result of trauma; spinal cord can be bruised or completely severed.
Subdural Hematoma
Mass of blood forming underneath dura mater when meninges are torn by trauma; can exert fatal pressure on brain if hematoma is not drained by surgery.
Syncope
Fainting
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)
Temporary reduction of blood supply to brain; causes symptoms such as syncope, numbness, and hemiplegia; can eventually lead to cerebrovascular accident.
Parkinson Disease
Chronic disorder of the nervous system with fine tremors, muscular weakness, rigidity, and shuffling gait.
