Traumatic Brain Injury

Question 1

Apraxia

Answer 1

A deficit in one’s ability to perform voluntary motor movements

Question 2

Ataxia

Answer 2

A nervous system disorder or a secondary symptom to other conditions such as stroke or traumatic brain injury affecting balance and coordination

Question 3

Cortical blindness

Answer 3

A condition due to a lesion in the part of the cortex responsible for interpreting visual stimuli. The function of the eyes of a cortically blind individual are usually normal, however the visual information is not processed due to abnormal brain functioning

Question 4

Dysphagia

Answer 4

Any difficulty or discomfort while swallowing. This particularly relates to eating and drinking, which can lead to choking, aspiration, weight loss and malnutrition

Question 5

Hemianopsia

Answer 5

A visual deficit due to brain trauma in which half of the visual hemisphere is lost. Depending on where the area is affected, it is either the left or right part of the field lost

Question 6

Hemiparesis

Answer 6

Neurological weakness or paralysis affecting only one side of the body

Question 7

Heterotrophic ossification

Answer 7

The abnormal growth of bone in soft tissue, usually resulting from neurological deficits following spinal cord injury

Question 8

Hyperbaric

Answer 8

Pertaining to pressure of ambient gas greater than 1 atmosphere. In spinal anesthesia, a hyperbaric solution has a density greater than that of spinal fluid

Question 9

Hydrocephalus

Answer 9

Abnormal increase in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranial cavity. This is accompanied by the expansion of the cerebral ventricles, enlargement of the skull and atrophy of the brain

Question 10

Nystagmus

Answer 10

An involuntary and abnormal eye movement usually associated with tracking movements. This is also tested for following a head injury as it can indicate the grade of concussion

Question 11

Pericardial effusion

Answer 11

An abnormal amount of fluid or blood collecting in the pericardial sac surrounding the heart

Question 12

Somatagnosia

Answer 12

A deficit in spatial orientation of the patient’s body parts or body

Question 13

Spatial neglect

Answer 13

Following a brain injury, spatial neglect is an unawareness or lack of attention towards the spatial environment contralateral to the brain lesion

Question 14

Spatial relations syndrome

Answer 14

An inability to accurately gage the spatial position of an object or person in the external environment

Question 15

uncal herniation

Answer 15

Downward displacement of the uncut and adjacent structures into the tentorial notch