Medical Terminology: Neurology Terms

Medical Terminology Related to the Brain and Nervous System

• cerebr/o: Refers to the cerebrum, the largest and uppermost portion of the brain.
• crani/o: Denotes the cranium, commonly known as the skull.
• encephal/o: Represents the brain, the central organ of the nervous system.
• gangli/o: Indicates a ganglion, which is a knotlike mass of nerve cells located in the peripheral nervous system.
• gli/o: Signifies neuroglial tissue, often referred to as "glue" in the nervous system.

Movement and Function Terms

• kinesi/o: Relates to movement, essential for physical activity and function.
• sthen/o: Refers to strength, significant in muscle function.

Additional Anatomical Terms

• mening/o, meningi/o: Refers to the meninges, the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord (two spellings).
• myel/o: Denotes both bone marrow and spinal cord, crucial for hematopoiesis and nerve signal transmission.
• poli/o: Indicates gray matter, which is made up of neuronal cell bodies in the brain and spinal cord.
• thalam/o: Refers to the thalamus, an important part of the diencephalon that processes sensory information.

Suffixes Indicating Conditions and Symptoms

• -lysis: Indicates separation, destruction, or loosening in medical terminology.
• -algia, -algesia: Both denote pain, used in various medical conditions.
• -asthenia: Refers to weakness or debility, indicating reduced strength or energy.
• -esthesia: Signifies feeling or sensation.
• -kinesia: Relates to movement, often used in combination with other terms to describe movement disorders.
• -lepsy: Indicates seizure activity, often seen in neurological terms.
• -paresis: Signifies partial paralysis, a condition impacting voluntary movement.
• -phasia: Refers to speech, with variations indicating different speech difficulties.
• -plegia: Denotes paralysis, a complete loss of movement in affected areas.
• -taxia: Indicates order or coordination, important in understanding neurological function.

Disorders and Conditions

• synalgia: Describes referred pain, where discomfort is felt in a location different from the source.
• neuralgia: Identifies pain in a nerve, often debilitating and challenging to manage.
• dyskinesia: Refers to painful or difficult movements, often associated with neurological disorders.
• dysphasia: Indicates difficulty in speech, which may arise from brain injury or stroke.
• aphasia: Represents a total lack or loss of ability to speak, typically resulting from brain damage.
• radiculopathy: Identifies inflammation of the nerve root, also known as radiculitis, impacting nerve function.

Prefixes Indicating Relative Position or Condition

• pachy-: Indicates thickness, often used in relation to tissues.
• para-: Means near, beside, or beyond, often used in medical context to describe adjacent structures.
• syn-: Signifies union or being joined together, important in describing joint actions or associations.

Stroke Types

• ischemic: Refers to a type of stroke caused by narrowing of carotid arteries, leading to reduced blood flow to the brain.