Neuro Exam 4: Frequently used diagnostic terms

abnormal absence or poverty of movement

inability to recognize objects through any of the special senses (vision, hearing, etc)

in absence of paralysis, pt unable to carry out purposeful, useful, or skilled motor acts

numerous forms of defects in use of language (Broca's aphasia, auditory aphasia, etc)

lack of motor coordination

lack of motor coordination

loss of sensibility of pain

loss of sensation (may be pain, temperature, crude touch, fine touch, vibratory sense, pressure, etc)

slow, writhing, wormlike movement of distal parts of extremities

unable to perform rapid or alternating movements

spasm in which contraction and relaxation of a muscle alternate in rapid succession

sudden and involuntary jerky movement of head, neck and extremities.  Also includes facial grimaces.  Note that jerky movements are well coordinated

inability to stop a muscular movement at a desired point

disturbances of muscular coordination (jerky, tremor-like voluntary movements)

slurred or hesitant speech

impairment of power of involuntary movement, resulting in fragmentary or incomplete movements

small local contraction of mm, visible through skin, representing of a spontaneous discharge of a number of fibers innervated by a single motor nerve filament

paralysis on one side of body

section of one-half of the spinal cord

abnormally decreased sensitivity of skin

low movement and expression of skin

loss of muscle tone

reduction in size of pupil

shock-like contractions of a portion of a muscle, an entire muscle, or a group of mm, restricted to one area of the body or appearing synchronously or asynchronously in several areas

increased muscular irritability and contractility w/ decreased power of relaxation; tonic spasms of muscle

pertaining to proprioceptive sense of mm

ataxia of eye movement

muscular weakness

loss of movement

paralysis of both legs

paralysis of both lower and upper extremities

a visual disorder in which one eye can't focus with the other (cross-eyed)