Neurologic - Vital Vocabulary

Question 1

Any deviation from alert and oriented to person, place, time, and event, or any deviation from a patient’s normal baseline mental status.

Answer 1

altered mental status

Question 2

A swelling or enlargement of a part of an artery, resulting from weakening of the arterial wall.

Answer 2

aneurysm

Question 3

The inability to understand and/or produce speech.

Answer 3

aphasia

Question 4

A disorder in which cholesterol and calcium build up inside the walls of blood vessels, eventually leading to partial or complete blockage of blood flow.

Answer 4

atherosclerosis

Question 5

A sensation experienced before a seizure; serves as a warning sign that a seizure is about to occur.

Answer 5

aura

Question 6

An interrup0tion of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a stroke.

Answer 6

cerebrovascular accident (CVA)

Question 7

A state of profound unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be roused.

Answer 7

coma

Question 8

A temporary change in mental status characterized by disorganized thoughts, inattention, memory loss, disorientation, striking changes in personality and affect, hallucinations, delusions, or a decreased level of consciousness.

Answer 8

delirium

Question 9

Slurred speech.

Answer 9

dysarthria

Question 10

A blood clot or other substance in the circulatory system that travels to a blood vessel where it causes a blockage of blood flow.

Answer 10

embolus

Question 11

A disorder in which abnormal electrical discharges occur in the brain, causing seizures and possible loss of consciousness.

Answer 11

epilepsy

Question 12

Seizures that result from sudden high fevers; most often seen in children.

Answer 12

febrile seizures

Question 13

A seizure affecting a limited portion of the brain.

Answer 13

focal seizure

Question 14

A seizure characterized by severe twitching of all of the body’s muscles that may last several minutes or more; formerly known as a grand mal seizure.

Answer 14

generalized seizure

Question 15

Weakness on one side of the body.

Answer 15

hemiparesis

Question 16

A type of stroke that occurs as a result of bleeding inside the brain.

Answer 16

hemorrhagic stroke

Question 17

An abnormally high blood glucose level.

Answer 17

hyperglycemia

Question 18

An abnormally low blood glucose level.

Answer 18

hypoglycemia

Question 19

Loss of bowel and/or bladder control; may be the result of a generalized seizure.

Answer 19

incontinence

Question 20

A lack of oxygen that deprives tissues of necessary nutrients, resulting from partial or complete blockage of blood flow; potentially reversible because permanent injury has not yet occurred.

Answer 20

ischemia

Question 21

A type of stroke that occurs when blood flow to a particular part of the brain icutu off by a blockage (eg, a blood clot) inside a blood vessel.

Answer 21

ischemic stroke

Question 22

The period following a seizure that lasts 5 to 30 minutes; characterized by labored respirations and some degree of altered mental status.

Answer 22

postictal state

Question 23

A neurologic episode caused by a surge of electrical activity in the brain; can be a convulsion characterized by generalized, uncoordinated muscular activity, and can be associated with loss of consciousness.

Answer 23

seizure

Question 24

A condition in which seizures recur every few minutes or last longer than 30 minutes.

Answer 24

status epilepticus

Question 25

An interruption of blood flow to the brain that results in the loss of brain function; also called a cerebrovascular accident (CVA).

Answer 25

stroke

Question 26

A fainting spell or transient loss of consciousness.

Answer 26

syncope

Question 27

A blood clot, either in the arterial or venous system. When the clot occurs in a cerebral artery, it may results in the interruption of cerebral blood flow and subsequent stroke.

Answer 27

thrombosis

Question 28

A disorder of the brain in which brain cells temporarily stop functioning because of insufficient oxygen, causing strokelike symptoms that resolve completely within24 hours or onset.

Answer 28

transient ischemic attack (TIA)