Term | Definition |
anomalies | Deformities or deviations from a normal condition, resulting from faulty development of a fetus. |
ataxia | Failure or irregularity of muscle actions and coordination. |
aura | A peculiar sensation that precedes the appearance of a more definite disturbance. |
benign | Not cancerous and not recurring. |
blood-brain barrier | An anatomic-physiologic structure made up of astrocyte glial cells that prevents or slows the transfer of chemicals into the neurons of the CNS. |
coma | An unconscious state from which the patient cannot be aroused. |
compression | The state of being pressed together. |
contralateral | Pertaining to the opposite side of the body. |
cryptogenic | Pertaining to a disease with an unknown cause. |
embolus | A foreign material that blocks a blood vessel; frequently a blood clot that has traveled from some other part of the body. |
ipsilateral | Pertaining to the same side of the body. |
malignant | Cancerous. |
myelin sheath | A segmented, fatty tissue that wraps around the axon of the nerve cell and acts as an electrical insulator to speed the conduction of nerve impulses. |
occlusion | Complete obstruction of an opening. |
papilledema | Swelling of the optic disc from increased intracranial pressure. |
paresthesia | An abnormal sensation of burning, prickling, or stinging. |
paroxysmal | Pertaining to a sudden, recurrent spasm of symptoms. |
plaque | An abnormal accumulation of a fatty substance. |
proprioception | The sensation of awareness of body movements and posture; nerve impulses that provide the central nervous system with information about the position of body parts. |
radiopaque | A substance that can easily be visualized on an x-ray film. |
thrombus | A blood clot. |
transection | Cross-section; a division made by cutting across. |
turbid | Refers to a cloudy solution. |