click below
click below
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Nervous System Illne
Symptoms of Nervous system illness
Question | Answer |
---|---|
lack or loss of memory. the inability to remember past experiences. | amnesia |
defect or loss of the power of expression especially speech but also writing or signing or of comprehending either spoken or written language due to an injury or disease of the brain. | aphasia |
the loss of the ability to carry out familiar purposeful movements in the absence of paralysis or another motor or sensory impairment. | apraxia |
a coarse slow nonrhythmic movement usually of the outstretched hands when there is sustained contraction of them. this is also called "liver flap" because it is associated with hepatic comas. however it is observed in other conditions as well. | asterixis |
failure of muscular coordination resulting in a reeling wide-based gait (the manner or style of walking). | ataxia |
hi a form of dyskinesia marked by ceaseless slow sinuous writhing movements especially of the hands (picture a pianist just before he touches the keys but slower) which is involuntary. | athetosis |
a psychomotor disturbance usually (but not always) associated with schizophrenia. | catatonia |
a burning pain due to injury of a peripherial nerve. | causalgia |
a headache. there are many different types of headaches, such as stress, cluster, and migraine headaches (most severe.) | cephalalgia |
the ceaseless occurrence of a wide variety of rapid, highly complex, jerky, dyskinetic movements that appear well-coordinated, but are involuntary. | chorea |
a violent jar or shock to the brain or the condition which results from such an injury. | concussion |
an acute mental syndrome. symptoms include disorganized thinking, rambling/incoherent speech, reduced level of consciousness, etc. | delirium |
a false belief that is firmly maintained despite irrefutable evidence to the contrary. for example, an individual experiencing delusions thinking he or she is famous. | delusion |
an organic mental syndrome. a loss of ntellectual abilities, including impairment of memory, judgment, and abstract thinking. changes in personality. most common cause is Alzheimer. | dementia |
a process whereby specific internal mental contents, such as memories, ideas, feelings, etc., are lost to conscious awareness and become unavailable to voluntary recall. defense mechanism in order to avoid emotional distress. | dissociation |
Slurring and inappropriate phrasing during speech, as well as the inability to control speech volume due to disturbances of muscular control. result of central or peripheral nerve damage | dysarthria |
the inability to perform rapid alternating movements | dysdiadochokinesia |
inability to control muscular range of motion | dysmetria |
impairment of speech, specifically lacking coordination and ability to arrange words in their proper order | dysphasia |
disquiet, restlessness, malaise | dysphoria |
brief, small, irregular twitches of muscle visible through the skin, caused by a single motor filament | fasciculations |
a sense perception without a source in the external word. the perception of an object or sound when the object or sound does not exist. most common are audio and visual hallucinations | hallucination |
sleep disorders consisting of the need for excessive amounts of sleep or causing extreme drowsiness when awake. it can be psychogenic in origin, have organic cause involving NS, or be related to medication/drug use | hypersomnolence |
abnormally decreased sensitivity, particularly to touch | hypesthesia |
diminished tone the skeletal muscles | hypotonia |
the formation of a mental concept or image | ideation |
formulating thoughts about harming or killing oneself | suicidal ideation |
formulating thoughts about harming or killing someone else | homidical ideation |
the inability to sleep | insomnia |
a vague feeling of bodily discomfort and fatigue | malaise |
a brief, lightning-like contraction of a muscle, portion, or group of muscles. this occurs in normal healthy people as they fall asleep. a hiccup is a diaphragmatic myoclonus | myoclonus |
loss or impairment of motor function or sensation in a body part | paralysis |
the term used to describe behavior characterized by systematic delusions of persecution, delusions of grandeur, or a combination of the two | paranoia |
this is a gross impairment in the capacity for sexual activity between adult human partners. there are different types. more predominant in males. major include: fetishism, transvestism, pedophilia, exhibitionism, voyeurism, masochism, and sadism | paraphilia |
the use of physical objects as the preferred method of producing sexual excitement (such as shoes) | fetishism |
the dressing by heterosexual males in female clothing | transvestism |
a preference for sexual activity with prepubescent children | pedophilia |
repetitive acts of exposing the genitals to an unsuspecting stranger for sexual excitation | exhibitionism |
looking at unsuspecting people who are naked, undressing, or engaging in sexual activity for the purpose of sexual excitation | voyeurism |
the intentional participation in an activity in which the individual is physically harmed or threatened in order to produce sexual excitement. examples: humiliation, bondage, whipping | masochism |
the inflicting of physical or psychologic harm or suffering on a sexual partner as a method of stimulating sexual excitement or orgasm | sadism |
slight or incomplete paralysis | paresis |
an abnormal touch sensation such as burning, pricking, or feeling that something is crawling over your skin when no external stimulus is present | paresthesia |
a test in a psychial examination to determine the presence of carpel tunnel syndrom | Phalen maneuver |
a sense/perception, usually at subconscious level, of the movements/position of body and especially its limbs, independent of vision. | proprioception |
with feet approximated, the subject stands with eyes open and then closed; if closing the eyes increases clumsiness in movement/gait, a loss of proprioceptive control is indicated, and the sign is positive | Romberg test |
an area of lost or depressed vision within the visual field, generally surrounded by normal vision. this is also used in psychiatry as mental scotoma or a figurative blind spot, where the patient has no insight into his/her problems | scotoma |
literally this means a sudden attack or recurrence of a disease. it is often used interchangeably with the term convulsion. there are different types | seizure |
characterized by loss of consciousness and alternate muscular contraction/relatxation in rapid succession. the contraction and relaxation is called clonus; tonic is the restoration of normal muscle tone | tonic-clonic |
also known as tonic-clonic seizure (pronounced like "mall") | grand mal |
brief generalized seizures manifested by a 10-30 second loss of consciousness with eye or muscle flutterings either with or without the loss of muscle tone, but without clonic activity | abscence seizure |
also known as absence seizures | petit mal |
sleepiness | somnolence |
a lower level of consciousness. patient responds only to vigorous stimulation. in psychiatry it is used to describe a disorder marked by reduced responsiveness | stupor |
an involuntary compulsive repetitive movement usually involving the face or shoulders. not to be confused with a tick, which is a blood-sucking parasite | tic |
a tingling sensation in the distal end of a limb when percussion is made over the site of a nerve. this is used to determine the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome | Tinel sign |
an involuntary trembling or quivering | tremor |
an illusory sense that either the environment or one's own body is revolving. it is mistakenly used synonymously with dizziness | vertigo |