Nervous

Number of nervous flashcards: 134
Number of nervous flashcards studied: 0

Shorten your study time by using an optional free account (no credit card needed). This allows our system to use spaced repetition, our best smart flashcard feature. Use the Join button in the menubar.

Start Flashcard Study Return to Medical Terminology homepage

Medical Term	Description
-algesia	pain
-esthesia	sensation, feeling
-graphy	process of recording
-lepsy	seizure
-mania	obsession with
-orexia	appetite
-paresis	weakness, slight paralysis
-phobia	abnormal fear
-plegia	paralysis
-thymia	state of mind
acrophobia	Fear of heights
Alzheimer disease	Type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking, and behavior.
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis	A neurological disease causing muscle weakness and impacting physical function. Commonly called ALS.
anesthetic	Medication that causes temporary loss of sensation.
anxiety	Feeling or emotion of dread, apprehension, or fear without apparent stimulus.
aphasia	Impairment of language or speech comprehension.
arousal	A state of alertness due to stimulation.
assertiveness	Strongly insistent, self-assured behavior.
astr/o	star
attention	Mentally focusing on a specific object, issue or activity. The act of concentrating.
autism	A group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral problems.
Bell's Palsy	Temporary facial paralysis, 7th cranial nerve. Sudden onset. Usually one-side asymmetry.
brain	A highly developed part of central nervous system that is contained within the cranium. It consists of cerebrum, cerebellum and other structures in the brain stem.
carotid ultrasonography	A diagnostic imaging technique to reveal structural details of the carotid arteries.
cataract	A clouding of the eye's lens.
caus/o	burn, burning
causalgia	A complex regional pain syndrome characterized by burning pain and marked sensitivity to touch in the distribution of an injured peripheral nerve.
cerebell/o	cerebellum (posterior section of brain)
cerebellum	The part of brain located behind the brainstem in the posterior base of skull (posterior cranial fossa). It coordinates voluntary muscle activity, balance and tone.
cerebr/o	cerebrum
cerebral contusion	A bruise of the brain tissue . Frequently caused by a blow to the head.
cerebral palsy	A chronic childhood disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills.
cerebrovascular accident	A stroke. It is caused by the interruption of the brain’s blood supply, usually because a blood vessel bursts or is blocked by a clot, or a space-occupying lesion such as a tumor.
cerebrum	The largest, uppermost part of the brain. Responsible for initiating and coordinating all voluntary body activity. The cerebral cortex is responsible for intellectual activities.
cervical radiculopathy	A pinched nerve. It occurs when a nerve in the neck is irritated as it leaves the spinal canal.
claustrophobia	The irrational fear of confined spaces.
cognition	Thinking.
coma	A deep state of unconsciousness. No voluntary motor signs.
concuss/o	shaken together
concussion	A traumatic brain injury. Measure severity by universal Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS)
contus/o	to bruise
delirium	A state of mental confusion that can occur due to illness, surgery or using certain medications.
delirium tremens	The most severe form of alcohol withdrawal, causing confusion, irregular heart rate, and sweating.
delusion	A belief that is clearly false.
dementia	A group of symptoms caused by brain disorder. Not a specific disease. Causes are peripheral vascular disease, stroke, toxins, or Alzheimer's.
dur/o	hard, dura mater
dura mater	The dense, leathery membrane covering and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
dyslexia	A common condition that affects the way the brain processes written and spoken language.
echoencephalography	The use of ultrasound waves to study brain structures.
electroencephalography	A test to measure the electrical activity of the brain.
encephal/o	brain
encephalitis	A inflammation of the brain. Symptoms include headache, fever, vomiting, stiff neck and lethargy.
epidural anesthesia	A regional anesthesia that blocks pain.
epilepsy	A general term for conditions with recurring seizures.
esthes/o	nerve sensation, feeling
factitious disorder	Conditions in which a person deliberately and consciously acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he or she is not really sick. Known as Munchausen Syndrome.
frontal lobe	The part of the cerebral hemisphere anterior to the central sulcus, and anterior and superior to the lateral sulcus.
ganglion	A structure containing an aggregation of nerve cell bodies located in the peripheral nervous system.
ganglion/o	ganglion
gli/o	glue-like
gnos/o	knowledge
Guillain-Barre syndrome	A disorder in which the immune system attacks the nerves. A rare disease, usually preceded by a viral infection
hallucination	Sensing things while awake that appear to be real, but instead have been created by the mind, common in delirium.
headache	Pain in the cranial region.
hedon/o	pleasure
hemorrhagic stroke	A stroke that occurs when a weakened blood vessel ruptures. Also called an aneurysm.
hydrocephalus	The buildup of excessive cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.
hyperesthesia	Hyperesthesia is a condition in which someone becomes highly sensitized to sensory stimuli.
hypnosis	A state of increased receptivity to suggestion and direction, initially induced by the influence of another person.
hypochondria	Anxiety about one's own health and belief that one is likely to become ill even though there is no medical evidence of illness.
hypochondriasis	An overwhelming fear of having a serious disease.
hysteria	Excessive or uncontrollable emotion, such as fear or panic.
intracranial hematoma	Blood accumulation within the brain or between the brain and the skull,
ischemic stroke	The main type of stroke. Occur when a blood vessel that supplies blood to the brain is blocked by a blood clot.
klept/o	to steal
lethargy	A condition of tiredness, fatigue, or lack of energy.
mania	An abnormally excessive elated, enthusiastic mental state.
memory	The mental functions of learning, retention, recall and recognition.
mening/o	membranes
meningitis	An acute inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord. May be viral or bacterial.
meningocele	Surgery to repair birth defects of the spine and spinal membranes.
ment/o	mind
migraine	Moderate to severe, painful headache that may occur with symptoms like nausea, vomiting, fatigue and numbness.
mindfulness	A psychological state of awareness.
multiple sclerosis	An immune-mediated process in which the immune system attacks the myelin sheath that surrounds nerve fibers.
myel/o	spinal cord, bone marrow
myelitis	An inflammation of the spinal cord.
myelography	A procedure that uses dye with x-rays or CT scans to assess the spinal cord,
narc/o	sleep, numbness, stupor
narcolepsy	A chronic brain disorder that involves poor control of sleep-wake cycles.
negativism	Behavior marked by extreme skepticism and persistent resistance to external advice.
nerve	A cordlike structure of the body, comprising a collection of conducting fibers that convey impulses between a part of the central nervous system and another body region.
nerve block	Interruption of neural conduction in peripheral nerves or nerve trunks by the injection of a local anesthetic agent.
neur/o	nerve
neural conduction	The propagation of the nerve impulse along the nerve away from the site of an excitation stimulus.
neuralgia	Intense pain that occurs along the course of a peripheral or cranial nerve.
neuri-	nerve, nervous system
neurological	Pertaining to the nervous system
neurology	A medical specialty concerned with the study of the structures, functions, and diseases of the nervous system.
neuron	The basic cellular unit of nervous tissue. Each neuron consists of a body, an axon, and dendrites. Their purpose is to receive, conduct, and transmit impulses in the nervous system.
neurotransmitters	Chemical messengers that carry signals to other cells in the body.
obsessive compulsive disorder	An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted obsessions and compulsions.
pain	An unpleasant or distressing localized sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by nerve endings of nociceptive neurons.
panic	A state of extreme acute, intense anxiety and unreasoning fear.
panic attack	Fear response that is out of proportion for the situation.
paranoia	Overly suspicious behavior.
paresthesia	A sensation of tingling or numbness, skin crawling, or itching without apparent cause.
Parkinson disease	A progressive disease of the nervous system that affects movement.
peripheral neuropathy	Dysfunction of peripheral nerves which can impair movement, sensation and organ function.
post-traumatic stress disorder	A disorder that develops in people who have experienced a terrifying event.
psych/o	mind
radicul/o	nerve root
reflex	A quick, involuntary movement or exercise of function, in response to a stimulus applied to the periphery and transmitted to the brain or spinal cord.
Reye syndrome	An acquired encephalopathy of young children that follows an acute febrile illness, usually influenza or varicella infection.
rhiz/o	root
schizophrenia	A chronic, severe mental illness that interferes with the ability to think, manage emotions, make decisions and relate to others.
sciatic nerve	A nerve which originates in the lumbar and sacral spinal cord and supplies motor and sensory innervation to the lower extremity. The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in the body.
sciatica	Pain radiating along the sciatic nerve from the lower back down the leg.
seizure	A sudden surge of the brain’s electrical activity affecting movement and awareness for a short time.
sensation	A perception produced by afferent nerve impulses conveyed to the sensorium.
sleep	Physiologic state of rest, relative unconsciousness and inaction of voluntary muscles.
smell	The ability to detect scents or odors, such as the function of olfactory receptor neurons.
somn/o	sleep
spinal cord	The section of the central nervous system enclosed in the vertebral column.
spinal nerves	The 31 paired peripheral nerves formed by the union of the dorsal and ventral spinal roots from each spinal cord segment. The spinal nerve plexuses and the spinal roots are also included.
spinal puncture	Tapping fluid from the subarachnoid space in the lumbar region, usually between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae.
thinking	The act of reasoning. Cognition.
trance	A sleeplike state of altered consciousness and diminution of motor activity,
tranquillizer	A drug that reduces stress without diminishing mental clarity.
trigeminal neuralgia	An inflammation of the trigeminal nerve causing extreme pain and muscle spasms in the face.
unconsciousness	Abnormal loss of awareness of self and environment and lack of responsiveness to sensory stimuli.
vag/o	vagus nerve
vestibul/o	vestibule
white matter	The region of central nervous system that appears lighter in color than the other type, gray matter. it mainly consists of myelinated nerve fibers and contains few neuronal cell bodies or dendrites.

Authors and Reviewers

Authored by Dr. Barbara A. Erickson
Medically reviewed by Dr. Jonathan Keroes, MD
Last Update: 12/18/2022