Neurological Terminology

Front 1

Agnosia

Back 1

The inability to interpret information.

Front 2

Agraphesthesia

Back 2

The inability to recognize symbols, letters or numbers traced on the skin.

Front 3

Agraphia

Back 3

The inability to write due to a lesion within the brain.

Front 4

Akinesia

Back 4

The inability to initiate movement; commonly seen in patients with Parkinson's disease.

Front 5

Aphasia

Back 5

The inability to communicate or comprehend due to damage to specific areas of the brain.

Front 6

Apraxia

Back 6

The inability to perform purposeful learned movements, although there is no sensory or motor impairment.

Front 7

Astereognosis

Back 7

The inability to recognize objects by sense of touch.

Front 8

Ataxia

Back 8

The inability to perform coordinated movements.

Front 9

Athetosis

Back 9

A condition that presents with involuntary movements combined with instability of posture. Peripheral movements occur without central stability.

Front 10

Bradykinesia

Back 10

Movement that is very slow.

Front 11

Chorea

Back 11

Movements that are sudden, random, and involuntary.

Front 12

Clonus

Back 12

A characteristic of upper motor neuron lesion; involuntary altering spasmodic contraction of muscle precipitated by a quick stretch reflex.

Front 13

Constructional Apraxia

Back 13

The inability to reproduce geometric figures and designs. This person is visually unable to analyze howto perform a task.

Front 14

Decerebrate Rigidity

Back 14

A characteristic of corticospinal lesion at the level of the brainstem that results in extension of the trunk and all extremities.

Front 15

Decorticate Rigidity

Back 15

A characteristic of corticospinal lesion at the level of the diencephalon where the trunk and LE's are positioned in extension and the UE's are positioned in flexion.

Front 16

Diplopia

Back 16

Double vision.

Front 17

Dysarthria

Back 17

Slurred and impaired speech due to a motor deficit of the tongue or other muscles essential for speech.

Front 18

Dysdiadochokinesia

Back 18

The inability to perform rapidly alternating movements.

Front 19

Dysmetria

Back 19

The inability to control the range of a movement and the force of muscular activity.

Front 20

Dysphagia

Back 20

The inability to properly swallow.

Front 21

Dystonia

Back 21

Closely related to athetosis, however, there is larger axial muscle involvement rather than appendicular muscles.

Front 22

Emotional Liability

Back 22

A characteristic of a right hemispheric infarct where there is inability to control emotions and outbursts of laughing or crying that are inconsistent with the situation.

Front 23

Hemiballism

Back 23

An involuntary and violent movement of a large body part.

Front 24

Homonymous Hemianopsia

Back 24

The loss of the right of left half of the field of vision in both eyes.

Front 25

Ideational Apraxia

Back 25

The inability to formulate an initial motor plan and sequence tasks where the proprioceptive input necessary for movement is impaired.

Front 26

Dystonia

Back 26

Closely related to athetosis, however, there is larger axial muscle involvement rather than appendicular muscles.

Front 27

Ideomotor Apraxia

Back 27

A condition where a person plans a movement or task, but cannot volitionally (or voluntarily) perform it. Automatic movement may occur, however, a person cannot impose additional movement on command.

Front 28

Kinesthesia

Back 28

The ability to perceive the direction and extent of movement of a joint or body part.

Front 29

Emotional Liability

Back 29

A characteristic of a right hemispheric infarct where there is inability to control emotions and outbursts of laughing or crying that are inconsistent with the situation.

Front 30

Neglect

Back 30

The inability to interpret stimuli on the left side of the body due to a lesion of the right frontal lobe of the brain.

Front 31

Hemiballism

Back 31

An involuntary and violent movement of a large body part.

Front 32

Perseveration

Back 32

The state of repeatedly performing the same segment of a task or repeatedly saying the same word/phrase without purpose.

Front 33

Homonymous Hemianopsia

Back 33

The loss of the right of left half of the field of vision in both eyes.

Front 34

Proprioception

Back 34

The ability to perceive the static position of a joint or body part.

Front 35

Ideational Apraxia

Back 35

The inability to formulate an initial motor plan and sequence tasks where the proprioceptive input necessary for movement is impaired.

Front 36

Ideomotor Apraxia

Back 36

A condition where a person plans a movement or task, but cannot volitionally (or voluntarily) perform it. Automatic movement may occur, however, a person cannot impose additional movement on command.

Front 37

Kinesthesia

Back 37

The ability to perceive the direction and extent of movement of a joint or body part.

Front 38

Neglect

Back 38

The inability to interpret stimuli on the left side of the body due to a lesion of the right frontal lobe of the brain.

Front 39

Perseveration

Back 39

The state of repeatedly performing the same segment of a task or repeatedly saying the same word/phrase without purpose.

Front 40

Proprioception

Back 40

The ability to perceive the static position of a joint or body part.

Front 41

Rigidity

Back 41

A state of severe hypertonicity where a sustained muscle contraction does not allow for any movement at a specified joint.

Front 42

Synergy

Back 42

A result of brain damage that presents with mass movement patterns that are primitive in nature and coupled with spasticity. (UE flexion with LE extension is common.)