Neurology Flashcards
Aphasia
a disorder that results from damage to the parts of the brain that contain language. Causes problems with any or all of the following: speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
Dysphagia
difficulty swallowing
Ataxia
lack of muscles coordination during voluntary movements such as walking or picking up objects.
Paraplegia
impairment in motor or sensory function of the lower extremities
Quadriplegia
paralysis cuased by illness or injurgy that results in the partial or total loss of use of all the limbs and torso.
Neuropathy
a complication found in a number of different underlying medical conditions, or it can be seen without the cause being diagnosed (idiopathic). Nerve damage in the periphery.
Hyperpathia
disagreeable or painful sensation in response to a normally innocuous stimulus (as touch)
Wenicke-Korsakoff Syndrome
“wet brain” manifestation of thiamin deficiency, most commonly seen in alcoholic patients
Spina Bifida
developmental congenital disorder caused by the incomplete closing of the embryonic neural tube.
Encephalopathy
disorder or disease of the brain, global brain dyfunction having many different causes.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
debilitating disease with varied etiology characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muslce atrophy and fasciculations, muscle spasticity, difficulty speaking, and difficulty breathing.
Psyllium
a dietary fiber, which is not absorbed by the small intestine. The purely mechanical action of psyllium mucilage absorbs excess water while stimulating normal bowel elimination. Although mainly used as a laxative, it is more appropriately termed a true dietary fiber and as such can help reduce the symptoms of both constipation and mild dairrhea.
Astrocytoma
cancer of the brain orginating in a particular kind of glial cells in the cerebram called astrocytes. This type of tumor does not usually spread outside the brain and spinal cord and it does not usually affect other organs
Alzheimer’s Disease
irreversible, progressive brain disease that slowly destroys memory and thinking skills, and eventually even the ability to carry out the simplest tasks.
Dementia
a general term for a decline in mental ability severe enough to interfere with daily life.
Infarct
tissue death (necrosis) caused by a lack of oxygen, due to an obstruction of the tissue’s blood supply.
AMS
Altered Mental Status
Posturing-decorticate
abnormal posturing in which a person is stiff with bent arms, clenched fists and legs heald out straight. The arms are bent in toward the body and the wrists and fingers are bent and held on the chest. A sign of severe damage to the brain. It is usually not as serious as decerebrate posture.
Posturing-decerebrate
abnormal body posture that involves the arms and legs being held straight out, the toes being pointed downward, and the head and neck being arched backwards. The muscles are tightened and held rigidly. It may alternate with deorticate posture.
Huntington’s Disease
neurodegenerative genetic disorder that affects muscle coordination and leads to cognitive decline and psychiatric problems.
Parkinson’s Disease
progressive disorder of the nervous system that affects your movement. It develops gradually, someimes starting with a barely noticeable tremor in just one hand. But while tremor may be the most well-known sign of PD, the diorder also commonly causes stiffness or slowing of movement
Aspiration Pneumonia
inflammation of the lungs and airways to the lungs (bronchial tubes) from breathing in foreign material
Dysarthria
a motor speech disorder. The muscles of the mouth, face, and respiratory system may become weak, move slowly, or not move at all after a stroke or other brain injury.
Hemiparesis
weakness on one side of the body
