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175 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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meninges |
the three connective tissue layers that make up the protective outer coverings of the brain + the bony skull |
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pia mater |
innermost covering; thin and delicate and closely adheres to the brain |
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arachnoid mater |
middle layer and separated from the pia mater |
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subarachnoid space |
separates the arachnoid mater from the pia mater; contains CSF, blood vessels, and weblike tissue that secure it to the pia mater |
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dura mater |
thick outermost layer that adheres to the inner surface of the cranium |
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cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) |
surrounds the subarachnoid spaces around the brain and spinal cord and fills the ventricles within the brain |
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cerebrum |
largest part of the brain; has 2 hemispheres |
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cerebral cortex |
functional areas include primary motor areas, primary sensory areas, and secondary areas that function at a higher level than the primary areas |
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hypothalamus |
lies inferior to the thalamus and forms the floor and lower part of the side walls of the third ventricle; plays important role in regulating appetite, HR, body temp, water balance, digestion and sexual activity |
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cerebellum |
lies inferior to the pons and is the second largest area of the brain |
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arbor vitae |
a cross-section of the cerebellum looks like a tree; tree of life |
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PNS |
nervous tissue found outside the brain and spinal cord (12 cranial nerves) |
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PNS subsystems |
(1) somatic (2) autonomic |
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Autonomic nervous system |
(1) Sympathetic (2) Parasympathetic |
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Sympathetic |
increases everything |
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Parasympathetic |
brings everything back to normal |
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MS |
musculoskeletal system |
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MS |
mitral stenosis |
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MS |
multiple sclerosis |
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delusion |
a persistent belief in an untruth |
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illusion |
an inaccurate sensory perception based on a real stimulus |
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mental |
pertaining to the chin |
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mental |
pertaining to the mind, e.g., mental health |
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brain |
comprising the forebrain, midbrain and hindbrain |
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cerebrum |
main (largest) portion of the brain, occupying the upper part of the cranial cavity; its two hemispheres, united by the corpus callosum, form the largest part of the CNS in humans. |
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cerebellum |
situated on the back of the brain stem; consisting of median lobe (vermis) and two lateral lobes (the hemispheres) |
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brain stem |
the stemlike portion of the brain connecting the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord and comprising the pons, medula oblongata, and midbrain |
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encephalon |
located between the cerebrum and midbrain, it contains the thalamus, hypothalamus, and pineal glands; involved in controlling body temperature, sleep, appetite, blood pressure, and sexual activity |
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spinal cord |
that part of the central nervous system lodged in the spinal column |
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meninges |
the three membranes covering the brain and spinal cord: dura mater, arachnoid, and pia mater |
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dura mater |
the outermost, toughest of the three meninges (membranes) of the brain and spinal cord |
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arachnoid |
the delicate membrane interposed between the dura mater and the pia mater |
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pia mater |
the innermost of the three meninges covering the brain and spinal cord |
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cerebrospinal fluid |
fluid within the ventricles of the brain, the subarachnoid space, and the central canal |
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cranial nerves |
the 12 pairs of nerves emerging form the cranial cavity through various openings in the skull, as follows |
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olfactory (CN I) |
sense of smell |
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optic (CN II) |
vision |
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oculomotor (CN III) |
movements of the eye |
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trochlear (CN IV) |
muscles of the eyes |
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trigeminal (CN V) |
facial movements |
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abducens (CN VI) |
muscles of the eye turning the eye outward |
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facial (VII) |
muscles of the face, ears and scalp |
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auditory (VIII) |
pertaining to the ear or the sense of hearing |
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glossopharyngeal (IX) |
pertaining to the tongue and pharynx |
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pneumogastric vagus (X) |
voice and swallowing |
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spinal (XI) |
neck muscles |
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hypoglossal (XII) |
beneath the tongue |
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spinal accessory nerves |
31 pairs of nerves without special names that are connected to the spinal cord |
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sympathetic |
the part of the autonomic nervous system assisting the body in emergencies, defense and survival |
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parasympathetic |
the part of the autonomic nervous system bringing body functions back to normal after a stressful situation has ended |
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abscess (brain) |
secondary to infection in the body, e.g., ear, sinuses |
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Alzheimer's disease (presenile dementia) |
characterized by confusion, restlessness, agnosia, speech disturbances, inability to carry out purposeful movements, and hallucinations; the disease usually begins in later midlife with slight defects in memory and behavior and occurs with equal frequency in men and women. The cause is unknown |
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amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) |
progressive degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons; usually fatal |
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anencephaly |
congenital absence of the brain; death occurs in 1-2 days |
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Bell's palsy |
unilateral facial paralysis of sudden onset caused by lesion of the facial nerve; facial distortion |
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carpal tunnel syndrome |
the disorder is largely due to the result of repetitive overuse of the fingers, hands, or wrists, which causes inflammation of the median nerve in the tunnel. Symptoms are intermittent or continuous pain, especially at night; treatment involves anti-inflammatory drugs, splints, physical therapy, and creasing the overuse. If these measures fail, surgical measures to relieve the pressure may be necessary. |
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cerebral palsy |
paralysis from developmental defects or trauma; many symptoms; appearing before age 3 years, caused by non progressive damage to the brain |
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cerebrovascular accident (CVA) |
a decrease in blood flow supply to the brain, causing death to the specific portion of the brain tissue affected; the three types of CVA or hemorrhagic stroke, which occurs when a cerebral vessel ruptures; thrombotic stroke, which occurs when a blood clot in the arteries leading to the brain becomes occluded (blocked); and embolic stroke, which occurs when an embolus (fragment of blood clot, fat, bacteria, or tumor) lodges in a cerebral vessel and causes occlusion |
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concussion |
a violent blow to the head; there may or may not be a loss of consciousness |
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convulsion (seizure) |
an involuntary contraction or series of contractions of the voluntary muscles; sudden disturbances in mental functions and body movements, some with loss of consciousness |
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encephalitis |
inflammation of the brain |
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epilepsy |
seizure disorder; cause usually unknown; symptoms can be managed with medication |
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fracture (skull) |
a break in the bones of the skull; cause can be injury, gunshot wounds |
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grand mal seizure |
also called tonic-clonic seizures; characterized by a sudden loss of consciousness, falling down, and involuntary muscle contractions; often preceded by an aura, a peculiar sensation such as visual disturbance, numbness, or dizziness, which appears just before more definite symptoms |
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hematoma |
blood "tumor" (clot); must be removed if large enough to cause pressure on the brain |
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herpes zoster |
"shingles"; an acute inflammatory disease of cerebral or spinal nerve caused by viral infection; common in elderly adults |
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Huntington's chorea |
ceaseless occurrence of rapid, jerky, involuntary movements; hereditary disease marked by chronic progressive chorea and mental deterioration |
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hydrocephalus |
"water on the brain"; a congenital or acquired condition marked by dilation of the cerebral ventricles accompanied by an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the skull; typically, there is enlargement of the head, prominence of the forehead, mental deterioration, and convulsions |
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Korsakoff's syndrome |
an alcoholic psychosis with disorientation, progressing to complete amnesia |
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meningitis |
inflammation of the meninges caused by bacterial, viral, or fungal infection |
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meningocele (myelomeningocele) |
hernial protrusion of the meninges through a bone defect in the cranium or vertebral column; may be repaired surgically |
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multiple sclerosis (MS) |
brain and cord contain areas of degenerated myelin. Symptoms of lesions include weakness, incoordination, speech disturbances, and visual complaints |
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myasthenia gavis (MG) |
a progressive neuromuscular disorder characterized by chronic fatigue and muscle weakness; considered to be an autoimmune disease. Antibodies block and destroy receptors at the myoneural junction because of a deficiency of acetylcholine. The onset of symptoms is gradual, with drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking and swallowing, and weakness of the facial muscles; the weakness may then extend to other muscles enervated by cranial nerves, especially the respiratory muscles. The disease occurs more often in women than men, with onset between ages 20 & 40 years in women, and in older men between ages 50 & 60 more often than in younger men. |
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neuropathy |
disease of cranial and peripheral nervous system; motor, sensory, and reflex impairment |
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organic brain syndrome (chronic brain syndrome) |
any mental disorder caused by impairment of brain tissue function; may be acute and reversible, caused by injury, infection, and nutritional deficiency, or chronic, resulting from relatively permanent organic impairment of brain tissue function. |
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Parkinson's disease |
a slowly progressive, degenerative, neurological disorder characterized by resting tremor |
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petit mal seizures |
also called absence seizure, the petit mal is a minor seizure lasting only a few seconds. The person has a momentary clouding of consciousness, may have a blank facial expression, and blink the eyes rapidly; the duration of the seizure is 5-10 seconds. The individual may not be aware of the episode. It is more frequent in children. |
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poliomyelitis |
an acute viral disease with fever, sore throat, headache, vomiting, and often stiffness of the neck and back; may be minor or major; can be prevented by vaccination |
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sciatica |
severe pain in the leg along the course of the sciatic nerve; also pain radiating into the buttock and lower limb, most commonly caused by herniation of a lumbar disk |
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shunt |
to bypass, e.g., using a catheter to drain fluid from brain cavities to the spinal cord |
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spinal cord injuries |
a traumatic disruption of the spinal cord, with extensive musculoskeletal involvement; spinal fractures and dislocations are common in car accidents and airplane crashes and can cause varying degrees of paraplegia and quadriplegia |
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subdural hematoma |
beneath the dura mater, usually a result of a closed head injury, acceleration-deceleration injury, use of anticoagulants, contusions, or chronic alcoholism; they are largely a result of venous bleeding. An acute subdural hematoma can occur within minutes or hours following an injury; a chronic subdural hematoma takes weeks to months to evolve. Symptoms include drowsiness, headache, confusion, possible seizure and signs of intracranial pressure and paralysis; treatment involves surgical evacuation of the blood, and in acute subdurals, it may be removed through burr holes in the skull, but chronic ones require a craniotomy because the blood has solidified and cannot be aspirated through burr holes |
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Tay-Sach's disease |
an inherited inborn error of metabolism in which there is an enzyme deficiency causing altered lipid metabolism; deficiency of this enzyme results in accumulation of a specific lipid in the brain, which leads to physical and mental retardation. It is a progressive disorder, marked by degeneration of brain tissue, dementia, convulsions, paralysis, blindness, and death. The symptoms begin around 6 months of age; death occurs between 2 & 4 years of age. It is possible to test for this disease in the unborn fetus through amniocentesis. No therapy is available for the disease; supportive and symptomatic care is indicated. Tay-Sach's primarily affects children of the Ashkenazic Jews |
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tumors (cord, brain) |
benign or malignant, primary or metastatic; may be classified by location, tissue type, or degree of malignancy, e.g., gliomas, neuromas |
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whiplash |
a popular term for an acute cervical sprain; acceleration extension injury of the cervical spine |
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angiogram (arteriogram), cerebral |
a radiopaque substance is injected into arteries in the neck, then x-ray films are taken |
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Babinski's sign |
reflex response; when sole of the foot is stroked, the big toe turns up instead of down (normal in newborn, but pathologic later on) |
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computerized tomography (CT) brain scan; also called CAT scan |
3D view of brain tissue obtained as x-ray beams pass through layers of the brain. A CT scan will show areas of tumors, hemorrhage, blood clots, aneurysms, MS, and brain abscess; contrast medium may also be injected by IV to better visualize abnormalities |
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cordotomy |
cutting of nerve fibers to relieve intractable pain |
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craniotomy |
any operation of the cranium, e.g, puncture of the skull and removal of its contents to decrease the size of the head of a dead fetus and aid in delivery |
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echoencephalogram (EEG) |
use of ultrasound to show displacement of brain structures |
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electroencephalogram (EKG) |
record of electrical activity of the brain |
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laboratory procedures |
examination of cerebrospinal fluid (cell counts, culture, blood) |
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laminectomy |
excision of the posterior arch of a vertebra to view the spinal cord or to relieve pressure |
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lumbar puncture (LP) |
spinal tap |
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lumbar sympathectomy |
a surgical interruption of part of the sympathetic nerve pathways, performed for the relief of chronic pain in vascular diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, claudication and so on |
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magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) of the brain |
noninvasive technique using magnetic waves to create an image of the brain. The MRI is far more precise and accurate than most diagnostic tools; it provides visualization of fluid, soft tissue, and bony structures. MRI and CT are used to complement each other in diagnosing brain and spinal cord lesions. Persons with any implanted metal devices such as a pacemaker, prosthesis, etc., cannot undergo MRI because the strong magnetic field will dislodge them |
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myelogram (myelography) |
the film produced by myelography, e.g., injection of a dye into the subarachnoid space to detect tumors or herniated disks |
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nerve block |
injection of anesthetic into a nerve to produce the loss of sensation |
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nerve cells (neurons) |
conducting cells of the nervous system, consisting of a cell body containing the nucleus and its surrounding cytoplasms, and the axon and dendrites; specialized cells for transmitting impulses |
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pneumoencephalogram (PEG) |
the radiograph obtained by visualization of the fluid-containing structures of the brain after CSF is intermittently withdrawn by lumbar puncture and replaced by air, oxygen, or helium |
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positron emission tomography (PET) scan |
images of various structures show how the brain uses glucose and gives information about brain function; PET scans are used to assess Alzheimer's, stroke, epilepsy, and schizophrenia as well as study and diagnose brain tumors |
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rhizotomy |
cutting the roots of spinal nerves to relieve incurable pain |
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Romberg test |
a test of the sense of balance, e.g., the patient may lose balance when standing erect, feet together, and eyes closed |
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trephination |
drilling a hole in the skull to evacuate clots or inject air for a diagnostic procedure |
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vagotomy |
surgical transection of the fibers of the vagus nerve |
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ventriculography |
radiography of the cerebral ventricles after introduction of air or other contrast medium |
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affect |
the feeling experienced in connection with an emotion |
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aggression |
hostile attitude; may be caused by insecurity or inferiority feeling |
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ambivalence |
conflicting emotional attitudes toward a goal, e.g., hate and love |
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amnesia |
loss of memory |
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autism |
developmental disorder characterized by the inability to form social relationships and communicate with others |
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bipolar disorder |
brain disorder in which the individual experiences extremes in energy, mood, and behavior between mania and depression that interfere with the ability to carry out day-to-day activities; also called manic-depressive illness |
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catatonia |
excessive violent motor activity or lack of reaction and movement; observed in schizophrenia |
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delirium |
a mental disturbance of relatively short duration, e.g., illusions, hallucinations, and excitement |
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delusion |
a false personal belief |
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depression |
in psychiatry, a morbid sadness, dejection, or melancholy; a decrease of body functions |
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echolalia |
automatic repetition by a patient of what is said to him or her |
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electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, EST) |
introducing convulsions by means of electricity; used on patients with affective disorders |
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hallucination |
hearing or seeing things not really present |
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hypochondria |
imaginary illnesses |
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hysteria |
extremely emotional state |
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major depression |
disabling brain disorder that interferes with normal activities of working, eating, sleeping and enjoying usual activities; most patients require treatment (medications and/or therapy) to improve after a depressive episode |
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malingering |
make believe, e.g., pretending to be ill |
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megalomania |
belief in one's own extreme greatness, goodness, or power |
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neurasthenia |
mental and physical exhaustion as a result of psychological stress, conflict, or depression; similar to chronic fatigue syndrome |
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neurosis |
an emotional disorder caused by unresolved conflicts, anxiety being its chief characteristic; person is still in touch with reality |
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paranoid |
a person who is overly suspicious with feelings of being persecuted or having delusions of his or her abilities or power that are not consistent with reality |
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phobia |
any persistent abnormal dread or fear |
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psychosis |
a major mental disorder with a loss of contact with reality; characterized by delusions and hallucinations; often part of schizophrenia and severe depressive disorders |
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rapid eye movements (REM) |
occur during periods of dreaming |
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schizophrenia |
a chronic, severe, and debilitating brain disorder characterized by visual and auditory hallucinations and delusions as well as disordered thoughts. Most individuals with schizophrenia are not able to hold a job or care for themselves. |
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aphasia |
loss of the ability to speak owing to injury or disease of the brain centers |
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ataxia |
failure of muscular coordination |
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biofeedback |
the process of furnishing a person with information on the state of one or more physiologic variables, such as HR, BP, or skin temp, often enabling the person to gain some voluntary control over the body function |
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cauda equina |
the collection of spinal roots descending from the lower spinal cord and supplying the rectal area |
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comatose |
in a deep stupor; cannot be aroused |
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contrecoup |
denoting an injury to the brain, occurring at a site opposite to the point of impact |
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deep tendon reflex (DTR) |
a reflex elicited by a sharp tap on the appropriate tendon or muscle to induce brief stretch of the muscle, followed by contraction |
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encephalon |
the brain |
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fissure |
many meanings; one refers to a deep furrow in the brain |
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flaccid |
weak, lax, soft, flabby; poor muscle tone |
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foramen magnum |
a large opening in the occipital bone through which the spinal cord passes |
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ganglion |
a knot; a group of nerve cell bodies, located outside the CNS |
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gyrus (pl., gyri) |
convolutions of the cerebrum |
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hemisphere |
either half of the brain |
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ipsilateral |
situated on or affecting the same side |
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limbic system |
the part of the brain associated with attitudes and emotional behavior |
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manometer |
an instrument for measuring the pressure, e.g., of spinal fluid |
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myelin |
white, liquid, fatty substance surrounding some nerve fibers (white matter) |
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neurilemma (sheath of Schwann) |
the membrane surrounding the peripheral nerves |
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paralysis |
inability to use muscles because of damage to the nervous system |
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paresis |
slight or incomplete paralysis |
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paresthesia |
an abnormal sensation, such as burning or pricling |
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plexus |
a network of nerves or blood vessels |
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reflex |
an involuntary response to a stimulus |
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spastic |
uncontrollable and forced contractions |
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stimulus |
any agent, act, or influence that produces a reaction or response |
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sulcus (pl., sulci) |
a groove, trench, or furrow on the brain surface |
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syncope |
a faint; temporary loss of consciousness |
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ventricle (brain) |
a small cavity in the brain |
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anticonvulsant |
prevents or relieves convulsions (seizures) |
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anti- |
against |
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convulsant |
pertaining to convulsion |
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phenobarbital sodium |
Luminal Sodium |
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diazepam |
Vallium |
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antidepressant |
prevents, cures, or alleviates mental depression |
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depressant |
pertaining to depression |
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amitriptyline hydrochloride |
Elavil, Amitril |
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intipramine hydrochloride |
Tofranil |
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hypnotic |
induce sleep or semiunconsciousness |
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hypno- |
sleep |
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-tic |
pertaining to |
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pentobarbital |
Nembutal |
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secobarbital sodium |
Seconal Sodium |
