Chapter 15

a mass of cells whose growth is uncontrolled and that serves no useful function

a cancerous tumor; lacks a distinct border and may metastisize

a noncancerous tumor; has a distinct border and cannot metastasize

the process by which cells break off of a tumor, travel through the vascular system, and grow elsewhere in the body

a cancerous brain tumor composed of one of several types of glial cells

a benign brain tumor composed of the cells that constitute the meninges

the preferred term for epilepsy

a violent sequence of uncontrollable muscular movements caused by a seizure

a seizure that begins at a fucs of remains localized,not generalizing to the rest of the brain

a seizure that involves most of the brain, as contrased with a partial seizure, which remains localized

a partial seizure, starting from a focus and remaining localized, that does not produce loss of consciousness

a partial seizure, starting from a focus and remaining localized, that produces loss of consciousness

a generalized, tonic-clonic seizure, which results in a convulsion

a sensation that precedes a seizure; its exact nature depends on th location of the seizure focus

the first phase of a grand mal seizure, in which all of the patient's skeletal muscles are contracted

the phase of a grand mal seizure in which the patient shows rhythmic jerking movements

a type of seizure disorder often seen in children; characteriszed by periods of inattention, which is not subsequently remembered; also called petit mal seizure

a condition in which a patient undergoes a serioes of seizures without regaining consciousness

a cerebrovascular accident caused by the rupture of a cerebral blood vessel

a cerebrovascular accident caused by occlusion of a blood vessel

the interruption of the blood supply to a region of the body

a blood clot that forms within a blood vessel, which may occlude it

a piece of matter (such as a blood clot, fat, or bacterial debris) that dislodges from its site of origin and occludes an artery; in the brain an emvolus can lead to a stroke

a molecule with unpaired electrons; acts as a powerful oxidizing agent; toxic to cells

a birth defect caused by ingestion of alcohol by a pregnant woman; includes characteristic facial anomalies and faulty brain development

a protein that plays a role in brain development; helps to guide the growth of neurons

a hereditary disorder caused by the absence of an enzyme that converts that amino acid phenylalanine to tyrosine; the accumulation of phenylalaine causes brain damage unless a special diet is implemented soon after birth

a metaboic disorder in which an infant requires larger-than-normal amounts of pyridoxine (vitamin B6) to avoid neurological symptoms

an inherited metabolic disorder in which galactose (milk sugar) cannot easily be metabolized

a heritable, fatal, metabolic storage disorder; lack of enzymes in lysosomes causes accumulation of waste produces an swelling of cells of the brain

a disorder caused by the presence of an extra twenty-first chromosome, characterized by moderate to sever mental retardation and often by physical abnormalities

a contagious brain disease whose degenerative process gives the brain a spongelike appearance; caused by accumulation of misfolded prion protein

a protein that can exist in two forms that differ only in their tree-dimensional shape; accumulation of misfolded prion protein is responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathies

a disease that occurs rarely and is not obviously caused by heredity or an infectious agent

a "killer enzyme" that plays a rolein apoptosis, or programmed cell death

abnormal circular structures with a dense cor consisting of a-synuclein protein; found in the cytoplasm of nigrostriatal neurons in people with Parkinson's disease

a protein normally found in the presynaptic membrane, where it is apparently involved in synaptic plasticity. Abnormal accumulations are apparently the cause of neural degeneration in Parkinson's disease

said of a genetic disorder caused by a dominant mutation that involves a faulty gene that produces a protein with toxic effects

a protein that plays a role in ferrying defective or misfolded proteins to the proteasomes; mutated parkin is cause of familial Parkinson's disease

said of a genetic disorder caused by a recessive gene that fails to produce a protein that is necessary for good health

an organelle responsible for destroying defective or degraded proteins within the cell

a protein that attaches itself to faulty or misfolded proteins and thus targets them for destruction by proteasomes

a division of the lobus pallidus that provides inhibitory input to the motor cortex via the thalamus; sometimes sereotaxically lesioned to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's disease

an inherited disorder that causes degeneration of the basal ganglia; characterized by progressively more sever uncontrollable jerking movements, writhing movements, dementia, and finally death

a protein that may serve to fcilitate the production and transport of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. abnormal huntingtin is the cause of Huntington's disease

a loss of cognitive abilities such as memory, perception, verbal ability, and judgment; common causes a multiple strokes and Alzheimer's disease

a degenerative brain disorder of unknown origin; causes progressive memory loss, motor deficits, and eventual death

an extracellular deposit containing a dense core of B-amyloid protein surrounded by degenerating axons and dendrites and activated microglia and reactive astrocytes

a protein found in excessive amounts in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease

a dying neuron containing intracellular accumulation of B-amyloid and twisted protein filaments that formerly served as the cell'sinternal skeleton

a protein that normally serves as a component of microtubules, which provide the cell's transport mechanism

a protein produced an sercreted by cells that serves as the precursor for B-amyloid protein

a class of enzymes that cut the B-amyloid precursor protein into smaller fragments, including B-amyloid

a protein produces by a faulty gene that causes B-amyloid precursor protein to be converted to the abnormal short form; may be a cause of Alzheimer's disease

a glycoprotein that transports cholesterol in teh blood and plays a role in cellular repair; presence of the E4 allele of the apoE gene increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease

a degenerative disorder that attacks the spinal cord and cranial nerve motor neurons

an inflammation of the brain; caused by bacteria, viruses, or toxic chemicals

a virus that normally causes coldsores near the lips but that can also cause brain damage

a viral disease that destroys motor neurons of the brain and spinal cord

a fatal viral disease that causes brain damage; usually transmitted through the bite of an infected animal

an inflammation of the meninges; can be caused by viruses or bacteria