Terms of Use. PUPIL - The black part of the eye through which light enters; enlarges in dim light and decreases in size in bright light. AGRAPHIA - Inability to write due either to muscular coordination issues or to an inability to phrase thought. The lateral horn is a small horn-like projection of gray matter into the white matter of the spinal cord between the anterior and dorsal horn. Hemiparesis is weakness of one side of the body or part of it, due to an injury in the motor area of the brain. Now check your email to confirm your subscription. MENINGIOMA - A firm, often vascular, tumor arising from the coverings of the brain. The magnetic images are assembled by a computer to provide an image of the arteries in the head and neck. How to use a word that (literally) drives some pe Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference. The magnetic images are assembled by a computer to provide an image of the arteries in the head and neck. CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA - Tumor arising from the embryonic duct between the brain and pharynx. ARTERIOSCLEROSIS - Thickening and calcification of the arterial wall with loss of elasticity and contractility. Sensory - The cortical portion controlling sensation. Hemi-, unlike semi, almost always appears in scientific or technical words, including medical terms such as this one. Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, the membrane which covers and protects the brain and spinal cord. NEUROMA - A tumor or new growth largely made up of nerve fibers and connective tissue. ANALGESIA - Loss of sensitivity to pain, loss of response to a painful stimulus. Mosbys Medical Dictionary (2017). Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Myasthenia Gravis is an autoimmune disorder affecting the neuromuscular junction, which causes muscle weakness. 11 Rules for Changing Singular Terms to Plural Terms, Medical Terminology of the Respiratory System, Medical Terminology of the Musculoskeletal System, before, for, in front of, from, in behalf of, on account of, under, below, beneath, in small quantity, less than normal, surgical puncture as to aspirate or remove fluid, excision (surgical removal or cutting out), product of a drawing, writing or recording, condition process, theory of, principle, method, process of loosening, freeing, or destroying, visual examination with a lighted instrument. Autonomic dysreflexia is a life threatening emergency in patients with spinal cord injury or lesions characterized by a hypertensive emergency. Potential is an interpretation of energy involved in passing on a unit of electric charge. MEDULLOBLASTOMA - Tumor composed of medulloblasts, which are cells that develop in the roof of the fourth ventricle (medullary velum). A neurologist is a person who treats conditions related to the nervous system. See additional information. The nervous system is comprised of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS). CATHETER - A small tube used to inject a dye to see the blood vessels, similar to that used for looking at vessels in the heart.

PERITONEAL CAVITY - Body cavity in which the abdominal organs are situated. A system of nerve cells whose activities are beyond voluntary control. The cauda equina is a group of spinal nerves at the lower end of the spinal cord beginning at the lumbar to the coccygeal nerves. A wand is placed on the skin over the vessel that is to be imaged. SCOTOMA - An area of decreased vision surrounded by an area of less depressed or normal vision. A brain abscess is a cluster of infectious material within a portion of the brain. "Is" it time for a new quiz? It may be compressed or trapped at the wrist in carpal tunnel syndrome. CAROTID SINUS - Slight dilatation on the common carotid artery at its bifurcation containing nerve cells sensitive to blood pressure. Dysphonia is difficulty speaking due to voice impairment or altered voice production. The pia mater is the innermost layer of the three meninges. ATROPHY - A wasting of the tissues of a body part. Cerebral edema is an abnormal accumulation fluid in the intracellular space, extracellular space, or both. The cranial nerves are the 12 pairs of nerves emerging from the cranial cavity through various openings in the skull. ANOREXIA - An eating disorder marked by loss of appetite leading to excessive weight loss. INTRAOPERATIVE CISTERNOGRAPHY - Administration of a contrast dye into the ventricles, which are chambers in the brain that contain brain fluid. The peripheral nervous system contains the cranial nerves and spinal nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Please try again. The sulcus is a shallow depression on the surface of the brain or an organ. Paralysis affecting only one side of the body. AMAUROSIS- Loss of vision without a visible lesion in the eye structures or optic nerve. It regulates unconscious coordination of movement. DEPRESSED SKULL FRACTURE- A break in the bones of the head in which some bone is pushed inward, possibly pushing on or cutting into the brain. SYRINGOMYELIA - A fluid filled cavity in the spinal cord. PSEUDOTUMOR CEREBRI - Raised intracranial pressure, usually causing only headache and papilledema. ARACHNOIDITIS - Inflammation of the arachnoid membrane, most commonly seen around the spinal cord and cauda equina. A hemiplegic, like a paraplegic (who has lost the use of both legs), has usually suffered brain damage, often from a wound or blood clot. DIABETES INSIPIDUS - Excretion of large amounts of urine of low specific gravity. These cells are involved in the nutrition and maintenance of the nerve cells. Efferent neurons (also called motor neurons or output neurons) carry and transmit impulses from the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) to muscles and glands. The circle of Willis is a network formed by the anterior, posterior and middle cerebral arteries. DYSESTHESIA - A condition in which ordinary touch, temperature or movement produces a disagreeable sensation. Copyright 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. VENTRICULAR DRAINAGE - Insertion of a small tube into the ventricles to drain cerebrospinal fluid, usually performed when pressure is increased. It measure metabolic activity of the brain to assess cell death or damage. VASOPRESSIN - A hormone secreted by the hypothalamus and stored in the posterior pituitary that raises blood pressure and increases re-absorption of water by the kidneys. INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE (ICP) - The overall pressure inside the skull. There are terms related to nervous system specialties and the definitions. background-image - a woman looking at a screen, Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation. This was a case in which the carotid had been tied, and death occurred from hemiplegia five days after the operation. OLIGODENDROGLIOMA - A growth of new cells derived from the oligodendroglia. Positron is a positively charged particle. RADIOTHERAPY - Treatment of a lesion with radiation. A term used to denote the alteration in cell character that constitutes malignancy. Aside from this paranoid complex he had a complete left-sided functional hemiplegia with all the concomitant signs. The parietal lobe is the portion of the cerebral hemisphere that is posterior to the frontal lobe. Same as extradural. Do Not Copy, Distribute or otherwise Disseminate without express permission. SUBDURAL HEMATOMA - A collection of blood (clot) trapped under the dura matter, the outermost membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Below are some suffixes that can be used for the medical terminology of most systems. Sympathetic refers to a division of the nervous system. DIPLOPIA - Double vision, due usually to weakness or paralysis of one or more of the extra-ocular muscles. Plexus refers to a network of nerves and blood vessels. NEURECTOMY - Excision of part of a nerve.

Meninges are the membranes which encompass the brain and the spinal cord. Fissure refers to a deep depression on the surface of an organ such as the brain. ANTIDIURETIC - An agent that reduces the output of urine. NEUROFIBROMATOSIS - A familial condition characterized by developmental changes in the nervous system, muscles and skin, marked by numerous tumors affecting these organ systems. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. As in cardioplegia (paralysis of the heart), hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of the body), paraplegia (paralysis of the legs), and quadriplegia (paralysis of all four extremities). LAMINOTOMY - An opening made in a lamina. There are two cerebral hemispheres divided by a longitudinal fissure. VERTEBRA- Any of the 33 bones of the spinal column. endstream endobj startxref ACROMEGALY - Disorder marked by progressive enlargement of the head, face, hands, feet and thorax, due to the excessive secretion of growth hormone. December, 1909:Neurological ExaminationHemiplegia almost entirely disappeared, but numerous physical stigmata still persist. The spinal nerves are the 31 pairs of nerves that are connected to the spinal cord and numbered according to the level at which they emerge out of the vertebral column. INTRA-ARTERIAL CATHETERIZATION ANGIOGRAPHY - An invasive study in which a catheter (a small tube) is placed in the artery and contrast material is injected to which makes the blood vessels visible on an X-Ray image. The cerebrospinal fluid also acts as a shock absorber protecting the structures from blows. The brainstem is responsible for motor, reflex and sensory functions. White mater is tissue of the central nervous system which mainly consists of myelinated nerve fibers and has an almost white color. PROPRIOCEPTION - Sensation concerning movements of joints and position of the body in space. MENINGES - The three membranes covering the spinal cord and brain termed dura mater, arachnoid mater and pia mater. VENTRICLE - The cavities or chambers within the brain that contain the cerebrospinal fluid. https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/hemiplegia, paralysis of one side of the body; usually caused by a brain lesion, such as a tumor, or by. Transection is when the spinal cord is severed, either all the way through or partially. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. A daily challenge for crossword fanatics. For a cerebrospinal fluid analysis, cerebrospinal fluid is aspirated by needle insertion between the l3-l4 or l4- l5 intervertebral spaces. The brain is the portion of the central nervous system located within the cranium which is responsible for a persons intelligence, personality, reasoning, and their mood. Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disease which attacks the peripheral nerve myelin. A contusion is bruising due to bleeding of the underlying tissue of the brain surface caused by a blow in which the integrity of the skin is not disrupted but the blood vessel were ruptured. "Are" you ready? FORAMINOTOMY - Surgical opening or enlargement of the bony opening traversed by a nerve root as it leaves the spinal canal. It allows nerve impulses to travel to and from the brain. All Rights Reserved. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that carry a signal from one neuron across the synaptic cleft to the next neuron. HYDROMYELIA - Expansion of the spinal cord due to increased size of the central canal of the cord, which is filled with CSF. The American Heritage Science Dictionary ANEURYSM - Dilation of an artery, formed by a circumscribed enlargement of its wall. An MRI is a procedure used to produce an image by the creation of a magnetic field to give detailed information about nervous system abnormalities. INTRA-AORTIC BALLOON COUNTER PULSATION DEVICE This device is a pump that is inserted into the main vessel of the body (the aorta) to help the heart deliver blood to critical organs such as the brain or kidneys. Axons are the long projections of the cell body that carry the nerve impulses away from the cell body. SPONDYLOSIS - Degenerative bone changes in the spine usually most marked at the vertebral joints. The terms "slipped disc", "ruptured disc" and "herniated disc" are often used interchangeably even though there are subtle differences. TRANSSPHENOIDAL APPROACH - Operative method of reaching the pituitary gland or skull base traversing the nose and sinuses. The reticular activating system is a network of nerve cell bodies in the brainstem responsible for maintaining a wakeful state. The dura mater is the thick tissue that lines the inside of the skull. Ataxia is impaired coordination of movement marked by gait or postural imbalance.