Neurology Terms

Question 1

Dyskinesia

Answer 1

Difficulty/abnormality in performing voluntary muscle movements

Impairment in ability to control movements

Characterized by spasmodic or repetitive motions/lack of coordination

Fragmented or jerky movements

Question 2

Bradykinesia

Answer 2

Slow movement

Slowness in the execution of movement

Question 3

Akinesia

Answer 3

Inability to initiate movement

Due to problems selecting and activating motor programs in the brain

Question 4

Rigidity

Answer 4

An increase in resistance to passive movement

Responsible for characteristic flexed position

Slowness of voluntary movement - swinging arms while walking

Voluntary action may be briefly regained during an emergency

Question 5

Chorea

Answer 5

“to dance”

Brief irregular contractions not repetitive or rhythmic, but appear to flow from one muscle to another

Occur without conscious effort

Question 6

Ballism

Answer 6

Severe chorea

Slight movements become thrashing motions

Odd postures

Leg movements

Question 7

Dysarthria

Answer 7

Any articulation disorder caused by impairment of the muscles used in speech caused by a nerve defect

Stammering or stuttering

Question 8

Allodynia

Answer 8

Ordinarily painless stimulus is experienced as being painful

Question 9

Akathisia

Answer 9

Motor restlessness

Inability to sit still

Question 10

Cataplexy

Answer 10

Muscular weakness with sudden loss of postural tone

Triggered by emotional stimulus

Results in falls to the floor

May occur with narcolepsy

Question 11

Cogwheeling

Answer 11

Rachet-like movement due to superimposition of tremor or rigidity

Question 12

Facial masking (hypomimia)

Answer 12

Decreased facial expression due to rigidity of facial muscles

Question 13

Fasciculation

Answer 13

Spontaneous firing of an axon causing a visible twitch of all the muscle fibers it contacts

Indicates denervation

Question 14

Festination

Answer 14

An involuntary tendency to take short, accelerating steps in walking that can occur in Parkinson’s

Question 15

Freezing

Answer 15

Sudden, brief cessation of movement

Common in Parkinson’s

Question 16

Korsakoff Syndrome

Answer 16

Chronic phase of thiamine deficiency

Impairment in establishing new memories and retrieving previous memories

Occurs most commonly in alcoholics

Question 17

Myoclonus

Answer 17

Sudden, shock-like, jerking contraction of a group of muscles

Question 18

Oculogyric crisis

Answer 18

Acute dystonic reaction to neuroleptic drugs

Sudden, sustained twisting of the head and upward deviation of eyes

Responsive to anticholinergic/antihistamine meds

Question 19

On-off phenomenon

Answer 19

Sudden, unpredictable changes in motor performance by patients on levodopa therapy

Question 20

Palsy

Answer 20

Paralysis of a muscle group

Question 21

Paraplegia

Answer 21

Paralysis of both legs

Question 22

Penumbra

Answer 22

Area around the dense core of irreversibly damaged cells

Ionic homeostasis is preserved, reduced neuronal electrical activity, but is capable of recovery

Question 23

Tardive

Answer 23

Sx develop slowly or appear long after inception

Question 24

Tic

Answer 24

Repetitive, stereotyped, simple or complex movements that can be voluntarily suppressed for short periods of time

Question 25

Torticollis

Answer 25

Form of dystonia in which the neck muscles contract involuntarily

Causing the head to turn

Question 26

Wearing off phenomenon

Answer 26

Waning of the effects of levodopa dose prior to the scheduled time for the next dose

Results in decreased motor performance

Question 27

Fluent aphasia (Wernicke’s or receptive aphasia)

Answer 27

Language comprehension impairment

Impaired repetition due to lesion of the posterior left superior temporal gyrus

Question 28

Athetosis

Answer 28

Twisting and writhing movements

Question 29

Dystonia

Answer 29

Sustained muscle contractions causing twisting/repetitive movements or abnormal postures

Question 30

Oromandibular dystonia

Answer 30

Affects muscle of jaw and tongue - get distortion

Question 31

Blepharispasm

Answer 31

Dystonia of muscles around eyes

Repetitive blinking

Question 32

Spastic dystonia

Answer 32

Muscles of the larynx

Voice is broken or whispered