Chapter 15: Nervous systems diseases and disorders not built from word parts

Question 1

Alzheimer disease

Answer 1

type of dementia that occurs more frequently after the age of 65 (responsible for 60%-80%), but can begin at any age. The brain shrinks dramatically as nerve cells die and tissues atrophy. The disease is slowly progressive and usually results in profound dementia in 5 to 10 years. A prominent feature of AD is the inability to remember the recent past, while memories of the distant past remain intact.

Question 2

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

Answer 2

progressive muscle atrophy caused by degeneration and scarring of neurons along the lateral columns of the spinal cord that control muscle (also called lou gehrig disease)

Question 3

bell palsy

Answer 3

paralysis of muscles on one side of the face caused by inflammation or compression of the facial nerve, cranial nerve VII. Signs include a sagging mouth on the affected side and non closure of the eyelid; paralysis is usually temporary

Question 3

botulism

Answer 3

serious illness caused by a bacterial toxin that interferes with nerve conduction, causing skeletal muscle paralysis. Initial symptoms may include trouble seeing and muscle weakness leading to difficulty swallowing and breathing. Foodborne botulism, wound botulism, and infant botulism are types of the illness, all which can be fatal and are medical emergencies

Question 4

cerebral aneurysm

Answer 4

ballooning of a weakened portion of an arterial wall (aneurysm) in the cerebrum. It is usually asymptomatic until it ruptures, which can be very serous and can result in death.

Question 5

cerebral palsy (CP)

Answer 5

condition characterized by lack of muscle control and partial paralysis, caused by a brain defect or lesion present at birth or shortly after.

Question 6

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)

Answer 6

progressive degenerative disease of the brain which generally appears years or decades after repeated head trauma. Originally diagnosed in boxers (dementia pugilistica), it has no been found in other professional athletes who experienced repeated head trauma, such aas football, ice hockey, soccer, wrestling, and basketball players. signs and symptoms include memory loss, aggression, confusion, attention deficits, poor judgement, anxiety, and depression. Currently CTE can only be definitely diagnosed after death by brain autopsy, but in the future diagnostic imaging, chemical biomarkers, and neuropsychological tests may be helpful

Question 7

Dementia

Answer 7

cognitive impairment characterized by loss of intellectual brain function. Patients have difficulty in various ways, including difficulty in performing complex tasks, reasoning, learning and retaining new information, orientation, word finding, and behavior. Dementia has several causes and is not considered part of normal aging

Question 8

Epilepsy

Answer 8

condition characterized by recurrent seizures; a general term given to a group of neurological disorders, all characterized by abnormal electrical activity in the brain

Question 9

Multiple sclerosis (MS)

Answer 9

chronic degenerative disease characterized by sclerotic patches along the brain and spinal cord; signs and symptoms fluctuate over the course of the disease; more common symptoms include fatigue, balance and coordination impairments, numbness, and vision problems.

Question 10

Parkinson disease (PD)

Answer 10

chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Signs and symptoms include resting tremors of the hands and feet, rigidity, expressionless face, shuffling gait, and eventually dementia. It usually occurs after the age of 50 years (also called parkinsonism)

Question 11

sciatica

Answer 11

inflammation of the sciatic nerve, causing pain that travels from the thigh through the leg to the foot and toes; can be caused by injury, infection, arthritis, herniated disk, or from prolonged pressure on the nerve from sitting for long periods

Question 12

shingles

Answer 12

viral disease that affects the peripheral nerves and causes blisters on the skin that follow the course of the affected nerves (also called herpes zoster)

Question 13

stroke

Answer 13

interruption of blood supply to a region of the brain, depriving nerve cells in the affected area of oxygen and nutrients. The cells cannot perform and may be damaged or die within minutes. The parts of the body controlled by the involved cells will experience dysfunction. Speech, movement, memory, and other CNS functions may be affected in varying degrees. Ischemic stroke is a result of a blocked blood vessel. Hemorrhagic stroke is a result of bleeding (also called cerebrovascular accident CVA or brain attack)

Question 14

subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH)

Answer 14

bleeding between the pia mater and arachnoid layers of the meninges (subarachnoid space), caused by a ruptured blood vessel (usually a cerebral aneurysm). the patient may experience an intense, sudden headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and neck pain. SAH is a critical condition which must be recognized and treated immediately to prevent permanent brain damage or death (a cause of hemorrhagic stroke)