Medical Terminology Nervous System

burning, burn

cerebrum, brain

shaken together, violently agitated

bruise

brain

sensation, feeling

feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception

the process of producing a picture or record

membranes, meninges

spinal cord, bone marrow

nerve, nerve tissue

abnormal fear

mind

root or nerve root

having an affinity for

An excessive fear of heights.

A group of disorders involving the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, and language. It is the leading cause of dementia and is marked by progressive deterioration that affects memory and reasoning capabilities.

A rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles, resulting in complete paralysis and death; also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Medication used to induce anesthesia.

A medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia but is not a physician.

Mental conditions characterized by excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations or fear that is out of proportion to the real danger in a situation.

A subgroup of autistic spectrum disorders. Children with autism have significant developmental delays, including speech and language, with most having very minimal verbal skills and lacking normal social relationships.

Temporary paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve that causes paralysis only on the affected side of the face.

An ultrasound study of the carotid artery to detect plaque buildup in the artery to predict or diagnose an ischemic stroke.

Persistent, severe burning pain that usually follows an injury to a sensory nerve.

Bruising of brain tissue as a result of a head injury that causes the brain to bounce against the rigid bone of the skull.

A condition characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, speech defects, and other neurologic deficiencies.

Damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted; also known as a stroke.

Nerve pain caused by pressure on the spinal nerve roots in the neck region.

An abnormal fear of being in small or enclosed spaces.

The mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory.

A deep state of unconsciousness marked by the absence of spontaneous eye movement, no response to painful stimuli, and the lack of speech.

A violent shaking up or jarring of the brain that may result in a temporary loss of awareness and function.

A collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain.

An acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking and memory, agitation, and hallucinations.

A disorder involving sudden and severe mental changes or seizures caused by abruptly stopping the use of alcohol.

A false personal belief that is maintained despite obvious proof or evidence to the contrary.

A slowly progressive decline in mental abilities--including memory, thinking, and judgment--that is often accompanied by personality changes.

The thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges.

A learning disability characterized by substandard reading achievement due to the inability of the brain to process symbols; also known as a developmental reading disorder.

The use of ultrasound imaging to create a detailed visual image of the brain for diagnostic purposes.

The process of recording the electrical activity of the brain through the use of electrodes attached to the scalp.

Inflammation of the brain.

Regional anesthesia produced by injecting a local anesthetic into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine.

A chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures of varying severities.

A condition in which a person acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick.

Inflammation of the myelin sheath of peripheral nerves, characterized by rapidly worsening muscle weakness that may lead to temporary paralysis; also known as infectious polyneuritis.

A sensory perception (sight, touch, sound, smell, or taste) experienced in the absence of an external stimulation.

Occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures; also known as a bleed.

A condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain.

A condition of abnormal and excessive sensitivity to touch, pain, or other sensory stimuli.

A condition characterized by fearing that one has a serious illness despite appropriate medical evaluation and reassurance.

A type of stroke that occurs when the flow of blood to the brain is blocked by the narrowing or blockage of a carotid artery.

A lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy.

Inflammation of the meninges of the brain or spinal cord.

The congenital herniation of the meninges that surround the brain or spinal cord through a defect in the skull or spinal column.

A headache that is characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head and is sometimes accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light or sound.

A progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation that causes demyelination of the myelin sheath, resulting in scarring of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves.

Inflammation of the spinal cord; also inflammation of bone marrow.

A radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture.

A sleep disorder consisting of sudden and uncontrollable brief episodes of falling asleep during the day.

Chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse of a neuron to the target receptor.

An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent thoughts or impulses that are repetitive, intrusive, and distressing.

An unexpected, sudden experience of fear in the absence of danger, accompanied by physical symptoms such as heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest tightness, dizziness, sweating, nausea, feelings of unreality, and/or choking sensations.

A burning or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in other parts of the body.

A chronic, degenerative central nervous system disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, and a slow or shuffling gait caused by inadequate levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain.

A disorder of the peripheral nerves that carry information to and from the brain and spinal cord, producing pain, the loss of sensation, and the inability to control muscles.

A disorder that may develop after an event involving actual or threatened death or injury to the individual or someone else, during which the person felt intense fear, helplessness, or horror with symptoms including emotional numbing, hyperarousal, anxiety, sleep disorders, and persistent reliving of the event.

A potentially serious or deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting and confusion; sometimes follows a viral illness in which the child was treated with aspirin.

A psychotic disorder usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioral, or intellectual disturbances.

Inflammation of the sciatic nerve.

A sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain that affects how a person feels or acts for a short time.

The results when a child has been violently shaken by someone; can cause brain injury, blindness, fractures, seizures, paralysis, and death.

The brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain; also known as fainting.

A condition characterized by severe lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the fifth cranial nerve; affects the cheek, lips, and gums on the side of the face innervated by the affected nerve.