Nervous System

Combining Forms • Cerebr/o: cerebrum• Gli/o: glue, neuroglial tissue• Hydr/o: water• Mening/o, meningi/o: meninges- membranes

covering the brain and spinal cord• Poli/o: gray, gray matter• Scler/o: hardening• Myel/o: bone marrow, spinal cord

Prefixes and Suffixes• -lepsy: seizure• -phasia: speech• Quadri-: four

Overview • Neurologist: doctor who specializes in nervous

system function and diseases• Parts: neurons, neuroglia, brain, spinal cord• Functions: to control all of the body’s functions • Central nervous system: (CNS) the control center:

brain and spinal cord• Peripheral nervous system: (PNS) connects the

CNS to the rest of the body

Vocabulary • Neurons: the basic functional unit of the nervous

system (nerve cells)• Neuroglia: support, nourish and protect the neurons• Peripheral: pertaining to the outside surface of an

organ or structure• Cognition: the process of thought, reasoning,

judgement and perception• Neurotransmitter: chemicals in the brain that

transmit messages between neurons

Diseases and Conditions• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a degenerative disorder

that causes difficulty in swallowing, talking and breathing, muscle weakness and paralysis “Lou Gehrig disease”• Dementia: progressive, irreversible deterioration of

mental function• Symptoms: Impairment in memory, reasoning, judgement,

abstract thought, comprehension, learning, task execution and language

• Alzheimer disease: chronic dementia caused by death of neurons in the brain that get replaced by plaques• Symptoms: complete loss of mental, emotional and physical

functioning and personality changes

Diseases and Conditions • Epilepsy: a disorder that results from random

electrical signals being generated inside the brain causing seizures • Huntington chorea: an inherited, disease causing

the wasting away of brain cells• Symptoms: uncontrolled bizarre movements, emotional

disturbances and mental deterioration

• Hydrocephalus: excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain

Diseases and Conditions • Multiple sclerosis: a progressive degenerative

disease caused by inflammation and hardening of the myelin throughout the brain and spinal cord• Neuroblastoma: a malignant tumor composed of

cells resembling neuroblasts most commonly affecting infants and children• Neurosis: a nonpsychotic mental illness that

triggers feelings of distress and anxiety

Diseases and Conditions • Palsy: partial or complete loss of motor function

“paralysis” • Bell palsy: facial paralysis on one side due to nerve

inflammation• Cerebral palsy: bilateral, non-progressive motor

dysfunction and partial paralysis caused by trauma, injury or heredity

Diseases and Conditions • Paralysis: loss of muscle function, sensation or both

as a result of spinal injury• Parkinson disease: a progressive neurological

disorder caused by a dopamine deficiency that affects the motor cortex of the brain• Symptoms: hand tremors, uncontrollable head nodding,

shuffling, dysphasia, dysphagia, difficulty completing simple tasks

Diseases and Conditions • Poliomyelitis: inflammation of the gray matter of

the spinal cord caused by a virus• Results in muscle deformity and paralysis “polio”• Psychosis: a mental disorder with loss of contact

with reality, delusions and hallucinations• Sciatica: severe pain in the leg along the sciatic

nerve (from the hip to the foot)• Shingles: a chronic viral disease with painful blisters

caused by the chicken pox virus

Diseases and Conditions • Spina bifida: a congenital defect where the spinal

cord does not develop properly• Spina bifida occulta: most common, least severe

form without spinal cord protrusion• Spina bifida cystica: most severe type with

protrusion of the spinal cord, meninges or both

Diseases and Conditions • Stroke: inadequate supply of blood an oxygen to

the brain due to a clot or hemorrhage which allows brain tissue to die “cerebrovascular accident”• Transient ischemic attack: interruption in blood

supply to the brain that may be a sign of a more serious conditions “ministroke”

Diseases and Conditions • Trigeminal neuralgia: a neuropathic pain syndrome

involving flashes of pain in the face• Vertebral fractures: severe injuries to the spinal

cord that result in paralysis• Paraplegia: the loss of motor function and

sensation in the lower extremities• Quadriplegia: loss of motor function and sensation

in all four extremities

Diagnostic Procedures• Cerebrospinal fluid analysis: a laboratory test that

examines CSF obtained from a LP• Tests for the presence of blood, bacteria, protein,

glucose, and malignant cells

• Electroencephalography: electrodes are placed on the scalp to record electrical of the brain• Used to evaluate seizure and sleep disorders

• Lumbar puncture: insertion of a needle into the spinal column to withdraw a sample of CSF “spinal tap”

Medical and Surgical Procedures• Craniotomy: creating an opening in the skull to

gain access to the brain • Thalamotomy: partial destruction of the thalamus

to treat psychosis or pain• Trephination: excision of a circular disk of bone to

reveal brain tissue during neurosurgery or to relieve intracranial pressure

Pharmacology • Anesthetics: produce partial or complete loss of

sensation and sometimes consciousness• General: produce complete loss of feeling with loss of

consciousness• Local: produce loss of feeling and affect only one area

• Anticonvulsants: prevent or control seizures• Antiparkinsonian agents: reduce signs and symptoms

of Parkinson disease• Antipsychotics: alter neurotransmitters to inhibit

delusions and hallucinations• Thrombolytics: dissolve blood clots

Abbreviations • ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis • CNS: central nervous system• CSF: cerebrospinal fluid • EEG: electroencephalogram or –graphy• TIA: transient ischemic attack• TN: trigeminal neuralgia• LP: lumbar puncture• PNS: peripheral nervous system

Abbreviations • C1, C2 and so on: cervical vertebra number• L1, L2 and so on: lumbar vertebra number• S1, S2 and so on: sacral vertebra number• T1, T2 and so on: thoracic vertebra number• CVA: cerebrovascular accident, costovertebral

angle• MS: multiple sclerosis, mental status,

musculoskeletal