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Medical terms 5
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| cerebr/o, encephal/o | roots for brian |
| cerebell/o | root for cerebellum |
| lob/o | root for lobe |
| cephal/o | root for head |
| crani/o | root for head/skull |
| mening/o, meningi/o | root meaning meninges |
| dur/o | root for dura |
| neur/o | root for nerve |
| gangli/o | root for nerve bundle |
| myel/o | root for spinal cord, bone marrow |
| esthesi/o | root for feeling, sensation |
| phas/o | root for speech |
| phren/o, phych/o | root for mind |
| somn/o, somn/i, hypn/o | roots for sleep |
| gnosi/o | root for know |
| -mania | suffix for excessive desire |
| -phobia | excessive fear or sensitivity |
| -paresis | suffix for slight or partial paralysis |
| ton/o | root for muscle tone, tension, pressure |
| tax/o | root for arrangement, order, coordination |
| -plegia | suffix for paralysis |
| -asthenia | suffix for weakness |
| aphasia | inability to speak |
| ataxia | lack of coordination |
| catatonia | condition characterized by reduced muscle tone |
| delirium | brief loss of mental function |
| dementia | loss/decline in mental function |
| dyskinesia | difficulty moving |
| dyslexia | difficulty reading |
| dysphasia | difficulty speaking |
| dystonia | condition characterized by involuntary muscle movements |
| insomnia | inability to sleep |
| myoclonus | muscle twitching |
| myospasm | involuntary muscle contraction |
| neurasthenia | nerve weakness |
| somnambulism | sleep walking |
| syncope | fainting, losing consciousness due to temporary loss of blood flow to brain |
| cephalalgia | head pain |
| cephalodynia | head pain |
| encephalalgia | brain pain |
| neuralgia | nerve pain |
| neurodynia | nerve pain |
| hemiparesis | partial paralysis on half the body |
| hemiplegia | paralysis on half the body |
| monoparesis | partial paralysis of one limb |
| monoplegia | paralysis of one limb |
| paralysis | complete loss of sensation and motor function |
| paresis | partial paralysis characterized by varying degrees of sensation and motor function |
| causalgia | painful sensation of burning |
| dysesthesia | bad feeling |
| hyperesthesia | increased sensation |
| paresthesia | abnormal sensation (usually numbness or tingling in the skin |
| pseudesthesia | false sensation |
| synesthesia | condition where one sensation is experienced as another |
| acrophobia | fear of heights |
| agoraphobia | fear of outdoor spaces |
| hydrophobia | fear of water |
| kleptomania | desire to steal |
| photophobia | excessive sensitivity to light |
| pyromania | desire to set fire |
| lumbar puncture | a needle is gently inserted between vertebrae of lower spine and small amount of fluid is drawn and evaluated for signs of infection and other types of inflammation |
| echoencephalography | procedure used to examine the brain using sound waves |
| electroencephalography (EEG) | procedure used to examine the electrical activity of the brain |
| spinal tap | inserting needle into lumbar region of spine in order to collect spinal fluid, aka lumbar puncture (LP) |
| cerebral angiography | procedure used to examine blood vessels in the brain |
| magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) | procedure used to examine blood vessels |
| myelogram | image of the spinal cord, usually done via xray |
| positron emission tomography scan (PET scan) | imaging procedure that uses radiation to produce cross sections of the brain |
| transcranial doppler sonography | an imaging technique that produces an image of the brain using sound waves sent through the skull |
| cerebellitis | inflammation of the cerebellum |
| cerebral atrophy | wasting away of brain tissue |
| duritis | inflammation of the dura |
| encephalocele | hernia of the brain |
| hematoma | tumorlike mass made up of blood |
| cranial hematoma | hematoma beneath the skull |
| epidural hematoma | a hematoma located on top of the dura |
| intracerebral hematoma | a hematoma located inside the brain |
| subdural hematoma | hematoma located under the dura |
| macrocephaly | abnormally large head |
| microcephaly | abnormally small head |
| meningocele | a hernia of the meninges |
| myelocele | hernia of the spinal cord |
| myelomalacia | abnormal softening of the spinal cord |
| myelomeningocele | hernia of the spinal cord and meninges |
| neuritis | nerve inflammation |
| neuroma | nerve tumor |
| neurosclerosis | hardening of the nerves |
| polyneuritis | inflammation of multiple nerves |
| agnosia | inability to comprehend |
| apathy | lack of emotion |
| hyperkinesia | increase in muscle movement of activity |
| neurathenia | nerve weakness |
| neuroglycopenia | deficiency of sugar that interferes with normal brain activity |
| nystagmus | involuntary back and forth eye movements |
| prosopagnosia | inability to recognize faces |
| anesthesiologist | doctor who specializes in anesthesiology |
| afferent nerve | nerve that carries impulses toward the CNS |
| efferent nerve | nerve that carries impulses away from the CNS |
| neurogenic | originating from/created by nerves |
| physchiatrist | doctor who specializes in the treatment of the mind |
| psychiatry | branch of medicine that focuses on the treatment of the mind |
| psychogenic | originating in/created by the mind |
| psychologist | doctor who specializes in the study of the mind |
| psychology | branch of medicine that focuses on the study of the mind |
| psychosomatic | pertaining to the relationship between the body and mind |
| idiopathic | having no known cause or origin |
| interictal | time between seizures |
| posticial | time after a seizure |
| preictal | time before a seizure |
| tonic | pertaining to muscle tone |
| clonus | muscle spasm of twitching |
| tonic-clonic seizure | seizure characterized by both a tonic and clonic phase |
| cerebrovascular accident (CVA) | an accident involving the blood vessels of the brain |
| stroke | loss of brain function caused by interruption of bloodflow/supply to the brain |
| hemorrhagic stroke | stroke where the blood loss is caused by rupture of a blood vessel |
| ischemic stroke | stroke where blood loss is caused by a blockage |
| transient ischemic attack (TIA) | a mini-stroke caused by blockage of a blood vessel, which resolves within 24 hours |
| cerebrovascular disease | disease of the blood vessels of the brain |
| cerebral aneurysm | widening or abnormal dilation of a blood vessel in the brain |
| cerebral arteriosclerosis | hardening of an artery in the brain |
| cerebral atherosclerosis | hardening of an artery in the brain caused by the buildup of fatty plaque |
| cerebral embolism | blockage of a blood vessel in the brain caused by a foreign object such as fat or bacteria |
| cerebral thrombosis | blockage of a blood vessel in the brain caused by a blood clot |
| craniomalacia | abnormal softening of the skull |
| craniosclerosis | abnormal hardening of the skull |
| craniostenosis | abnormal narrowing of the skull |
| craniosynostosis | premature fusing of the skull bones |
| hydrocrphaly | abnormal accumulation of spinal fluid in the brain |
| astrocytoma | tumor arising from astrocyte glial cells |
| ganglioma | ganglion tumor |
| glioblastoma | brain tumor arising from glioblast cells |
| meningioma | tumor of the meninges |
| cerebellitis | inflammation of the cerebellum |
| cerebromeningitis | inflammation of the brain and meninges |
| encephalitis | inflammation of the brain |
| encephalomyelitis | inflammation of the brain and spinal cord |
| encephalomyeloneuropathy | disease of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves |
| encephalopathy | disease of the brain |
| encephalopyosis | a pus-filled abscess in the brain |
| ganglitis | inflammation of a ganglion |
| intracerebral hemorrhage | excessive bleeding inside the brain |
| meningopathy | disease of the meninges |
| meningitis | inflammation of the meninges |
| meningoencephalitis | inflammation of the meninges and brain |
| myelitis | inflammation of the spinal cord |
| myelodysplagia | defective formation of the spinal cord |
| myelopathy | disease of the spinal cord |
| neuroarthropathy | disease of the joint associated with nerves |
| neuroencephalomyelopathy | disease of the nerves, brain, and spinal cord |
| neuropathy | disease of the nervous system |
| poliomyelitis | inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord |
| polyneuropathy | disease affecting multiple nerves |
| amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ACL) | degenerative disease of the CNS causing loss of muscle control, hardening of the nerve cells on the sides of the spine leading to loss of muscle tissue from disease |
| anorexia | eating disorder characterized by patient's restricting food or refusing to eat |
| autism | psychiatric disorder characterized by difficulties in social communication and interaction, as well as repetitive and/or restrictive patterns of behavior or interests |
| bulimia | an eating disorder characterized by overeating and usually followed by forced purging or getting rid of food |
| cerebral palsy | paralysis caused by damage to the area of the brain responsible for movement |
| dysphoria | negative emotional state |
| epilepsy | a disease marked by seizures |
| euphoria | a positive emotional state |
| hypomania | mental state just below mania |
| manic depression (bipolar disorder) | psychiatric disorder characterized by alternating bouts of excitement and depression |
| myasthenia | muscle weakness |
| narcolepsy | a disease characterized by sudden, uncontrolled sleepiness |
| psychopathy | a mental illness |
| schozophrenia | mental illness characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and disordered speech |
| anesthetic | drug that causes loss of sensation |
| general anesthetic | anesthetic that causes complete loss of consciousness |
| local anesthetic | anesthetic that does not affect consciousness |
| regional anesthetic | anesthetic that is injected into a nerve causing loss of sensation over a particular area |
| topical anesthetic | local anesthesia applied to the surface of the area to be anesthetized |
| epidural anesthetic | anesthetic applied in the dural region of the spinal cord |
| analgesic | drug that relieves pain |
| antocovulsant | drug that opposes convulsions |
| antidepressant | drug that opposed depression |
| antipsychotic | drug that opposes psychoses |
| anxiolytic | drug that lessens anxiety |
| hypnotic | drug that aids sleep |
| neuropharmacology | study of the effects of drugs on the nervous system |
| psychopharmacology | study of the effects of drugs on mental processes |
| psychotropic | drugs that are able to turn the mind |
| thrombolytic | drug that dissolves clots |
| cerebrotomy | incision into the brain |
| chemotherapy | treatment using chemicals |
| craniectomy | removal of a piece of the skull |
| craniotomy | incision into the skull |
| endarectomy | removal of the inside of an artery |
| endovascular neurosurgery | surgery on the nervous system performed by entering the body through blood vessels |
| lobectomy | removal of a lobe |
| lobotomy | incision into a lobe |
| neurectomy | removal of a nerve |
| neurolysis | destruction of nerve tissue |
| neuroplasty | reconstruction of a nerve |
| neurrhaphy | suturing of a nerve |
| neurotomy | incision into a nerve |
| ADHD | attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder |
| ALS | amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou gehrig's disease) |
| CNS | central nervous system |
| CP | cerebral palsy |
| CSF | cerebrospinal fluid |
| CVA | cerebrovascular accident |
| EEG | electroencephalogram |
| EMG | electromyogram |
| ICP | intracranial pressure |
| LOC | level of consciousness |
| LP | lumbar puncture |
| MRA | magnetic resonance angiography |
| MS | multiple sclerosis |
| OCD | obsessive compulsive disorder |
| PET | positron emission tomography |
| PNS | peripheral nervous system |
| TIA | transient ischemic attack |