Neuro vocab.docx

1. **Absence/petit mal seizure**: A type of seizure involving brief, sudden lapses in attention and activity, often mistaken for daydreaming. 2. **Afferent/sensory**: Nerve fibers that carry sensory information from the body to the brain. 3. **Aphasia (expressive, receptive, or glob...

1. **Absence/petit mal seizure**: A type of seizure involving brief, sudden lapses in attention and activity, often mistaken for daydreaming. 2. **Afferent/sensory**: Nerve fibers that carry sensory information from the body to the brain. 3. **Aphasia (expressive, receptive, or global)**: Difficulty with language; expressive aphasia affects speaking, receptive aphasia affects understanding, and global aphasia affects both. 4. **Arteriovenous malformation/AVM**: An abnormal connection between arteries and veins in the brain, which can cause bleeding. 5. **Ataxia**: Lack of muscle coordination, affecting balance and movement. 6. **Aura**: A warning sign before a seizure, such as unusual smells or sensations. 7. **Automatisms**: Repetitive, unconscious movements, like lip-smacking, often occurring during seizures. 8. **Autonomic nervous system/ANS**: The part of the nervous system that controls involuntary functions like heart rate and digestion. 9. **Basal ganglia**: Brain structures involved in movement control. 10. **Blood-brain barrier**: A protective barrier that prevents certain substances in the blood from entering the brain. 11. **Brain herniation (supratentorial or infratentorial)**: A dangerous condition where brain tissue moves from its normal position due to pressure. 12. **Brain stem**: The part of the brain that controls basic life functions, like breathing and heartbeat. 13. **Broca's area**: A brain region involved in speech production. 14. **Central nervous system/CNS**: The brain and spinal cord. 15. **Cerebellum**: The part of the brain that controls balance and coordination. 16. **Cerebral cortex**: The outer layer of the brain involved in complex thinking, perception, and voluntary movement. 17. **Cerebrospinal fluid/CSF**: The fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord that provides cushioning and nutrients. 18. **Cerebrovascular accident/CVA/stroke**: A condition where blood flow to part of the brain is interrupted, causing brain damage. 19. **Cerebrum**: The largest part of the brain, responsible for higher brain functions like thought and action. 20. **Contralateral**: Refers to the opposite side of the body or brain. 21. **Demyelination**: Damage to the myelin sheath of nerve fibers, impairing nerve signal transmission. 22. **Diencephalon**: A brain region containing structures like the thalamus and hypothalamus. 23. **Dysphagia**: Difficulty swallowing. 24. **Efferent/motor**: Nerve fibers that carry signals from the brain to the muscles. 25. **Epileptic syndrome/seizure disorder**: A condition characterized by recurrent seizures. 26. **Falx cerebri**: A fold of dura mater that separates the two cerebral hemispheres. 27. **Focal/partial seizure**: A seizure that starts in one area of the brain. 28. **Foramen magnum**: The large opening at the base of the skull where the spinal cord connects to the brain. 29. **Frontal lobe**: The part of the brain involved in decision-making, problem-solving, and movement. 30. **Generalized seizure**: A seizure that affects both sides of the brain from the start. 31. **Grand mal/tonic-clonic seizure**: A type of generalized seizure with muscle stiffening (tonic) and jerking movements (clonic). 32. **Hemi-inattention/hemi-neglect**: Ignoring one side of the body or space, often due to brain damage. 33. **Hemiparesis**: Weakness on one side of the body. 34. **Hemiplegia**: Paralysis on one side of the body. 35. **Hemorrhagic stroke**: A stroke caused by bleeding in the brain. 36. **Hypothalamus**: A brain region controlling hormones and body temperature. 37. **Incisura/tentorial notch**: An opening in the tentorium cerebelli where the brain stem passes through. 38. **Intracranial pressure/ICP**: The pressure inside the skull. 39. **Ischemic stroke**: A stroke caused by a blockage in a blood vessel supplying the brain. 40. **Limbic system**: A set of brain structures involved in emotions and memory. 41. **Medulla oblongata**: The lower part of the brain stem that controls vital functions like breathing. 42. **Meninges (pia, arachnoid, and dura mater)**: The three layers of tissue covering the brain and spinal cord. 43. **Monro-Kellie hypothesis**: The concept that the skull is a fixed volume, and an increase in one component (brain, blood, CSF) must decrease another. 44. **Myelin**: The protective sheath around nerve fibers that speeds up nerve impulses. 45. **Neurotransmitter**: Chemicals that transmit signals across a synapse between neurons. 46. **Nodes of Ranvier**: Gaps in the myelin sheath where nerve impulses are boosted. 47. **Occipital lobe**: The part of the brain responsible for vision. 48. **Parasympathetic nervous system/PSNS**: The part of the autonomic nervous system that conserves energy and relaxes the body. 49. **Parietal lobe**: The part of the brain involved in processing sensory information. 50. **Peripheral nervous system**: The nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. 51. **Post-ictal state**: The recovery period after a seizure. 52. **Provoked/secondary/acute symptomatic seizures**: Seizures caused by a specific trigger, such as a head injury or fever. 53. **Receptor**: A protein on a cell that receives signals from neurotransmitters or hormones. 54. **Reticular activating system/RAS**: A network of neurons in the brain stem involved in arousal and alertness. 55. **Saltatory conduction**: The process by which nerve impulses jump from one node of Ranvier to the next. 56. **Somatic nervous system**: The part of the nervous system that controls voluntary movements. 57. **Spinal reflexes**: Automatic movements in response to a stimulus, controlled by the spinal cord. 58. **Status epilepticus**: A prolonged seizure or series of seizures without full recovery in between. 59. **Supporting cells**: Cells in the nervous system that support and protect neurons. 60. **Sympathetic nervous system/SNS**: The part of the autonomic nervous system that prepares the body for \"fight or flight\" responses. 61. **Temporal lobe**: The part of the brain involved in hearing and memory. 62. **Tentorium cerebelli**: A fold of dura mater separating the cerebrum from the cerebellum. 63. **Thalamus**: A brain structure that relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex. 64. **TIA/transient ischemic attack**: A temporary disruption of blood flow to the brain, often called a \"mini-stroke.\" 65. **Tonic-clonic movement**: The stiffening (tonic) and jerking (clonic) movements seen in certain seizures. 66. **Unprovoked, primary, idiopathic seizures**: Seizures with no identifiable cause. 67. **Wernicke's area**: A brain region involved in understanding language.