| A | B |
|---|
| acrophobia | Excessive fear of being in high places. |
| Alzheimer's disease | A group of disorders associated with degenerative brain structure changes that cause progressive memory loss, impaired cognition, and personality changes. |
| amnesia | A disturbance in the memory marked by the total or partial inability to recall past experiences. |
| amobarbital | A barbiturate used as a sedative and hypnotic. |
| amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | A degenerative motor neuron disease in which patients become progressively weaker until they are completely paralyzed. |
| analgesic | Medication administered to relieve pain without affecting consciousness. |
| anesthesia | The absence of normal sensation, especially sensitivity to pain. |
| anxiety disorders | Mental conditions characterized by anxiety or fear that is out of proportion. |
| anxiolytic drugs | Medication administered to temporarily suppress anxiety. |
| aphasia | The loss of the ability to speak, write, or comprehend the written or spoken word. |
| autistic disorders | A group of condition in which a young child cannot develop normal social relationships. |
| Bell's palsy | Temporary paralysis of the seventh cranial nerve. |
| catatonic behavior | Behavior characterized by a lack of responsiveness, stupor, and a tendency to remain in a fixed posture. |
| causalgia | Persistent severe burning pain that usually follows an injury to a sensory nerve. |
| cerebral contusion | Bruising of brain tissue. |
| cerebral palsy | Condition caused by a brain injury that occurs during pregnancy, birth, or soon after birth, and is characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, and other neurologic deficiencies. cerebral palsy |
| cerebrovascular accident | Damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted because a blood vessel supplying it is either blocked or has ruptured. |
| claustrophobia | Abnormal fear of being in narrow or enclosed spaces. |
| cognition | The mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory. |
| comatose | The term referring to a person who is in a coma. |
| concussion | Violent shaking up of the brain that is usually caused by a blow to the head. |
| cranial hematoma | A collection of blood trapped within the tissues of the brain. |
| delirium | Potentially reversible condition in which the patient is confused, disoriented, and unable to think clearly. |
| delirium tremens | An acute organic brain syndrome due to alcohol withdrawal. |
| delusion | A false personal belief that is maintained despite obvious proof to the contrary. |
| dementia | A slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, judgment, and the ability to pay attention. |
| dyslexia | A learning disability characterized by reading achievement that falls substantially below that expected given the individual's chronological age, measured intelligence, and age-appropriate education. |
| dysthymia | A chronic depression present at least 50% of the time for over two years. |
| echoencephalography | Ultrasound imaging to diagnose a shift in the midline structures of the brain. |
| electroconvulsive therapy | A controlled convulsion produced by the passage of an electric current through the brain, which is used to treat depression and mental disorders. |
| electroencephalography | Process of recording electrical brain-wave activity. |
| encephalitis | Inflammation of the brain. |
| epidural anesthesia | Regional anesthesia produced by injecting a local anesthetic into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of the spine. |
| grand mal epilepsy | Severe form of epilepsy characterized by generalized tonic-clonic seizures. |
| Guillain- Barre syndrome | Characterized by rapidly worsening muscle weakness that may lead to temporary paralysis. |
| hallucination | A sense perception that has no basis in external stimulation. |
| hemorrhagic stroke | Damage that occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks or ruptures. |
| hydrocephalus | Abnormally increased amount of cerebrospinal fluid within the brain. |
| hyperesthesia | A condition of excessive sensitivity to stimuli. |
| hypochondriasis | Disorder characterized by a preoccupation with fears of having, or the idea that one has, a serious disease. |
| lethargy | A lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, and apathy. |
| meningitis | Inflammation of the meninges of the brain or spinal cord. |
| meningocele | Protrusion of the membranes of the brain or spinal cord through a defect in the skull or spinal column. |
| multiple sclerosis | Progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by scattered patches of demyelination of nerve fibers of the brain and spinal cord. |
| Munchausen syndrome | Condition in which the patient repeatedly makes up clinically convincing simulations of disease for the purpose of gaining medical attention. |
| myelitis | Inflammation of the spinal cord. |
| myelography | Radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium. |
| narcolepsy | Syndrome characterized by recurrent uncontrollable seizures of drowsiness and sleep. |
| paresthesia | An abnormal sensation, such as burning, tingling, or numbness, with no apparent cause. |
| Parkinson's disease | A chronic, degenerative disorder in which there is a progressive loss of control over movement. |
| peripheral neuropathy | Painful condition of the nerves of the hands and feet due to peripheral nerve damage. |
| petit mal epilepsy | Milder form of epilepsy in which there is a sudden, temporary loss of consciousness, lasting only a few seconds. |
| posttraumatic stress disorder | The development of characteristic symptoms after a traumatic event. |
| Reye's syndrome | A fatal condition often linked to giving aspirin to children suffering from viral infections. |
| schizophrenia | Psychotic disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, incoherent speech, and disruptive or catatonic behavior. |
| sciatica | Inflammation of the sciatic nerve that results in pain along the course of the nerve through the thigh and leg. |
| syncope | Brief loss of consciousness caused by the lack of oxygen in the brain. |
| tetanus | Also known as lockjaw. |
| tic douloureux | Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve characterized by sudden, intense, sharp pain on one side of the face. |
| transient ischemic attack | Temporary interruption in the blood supply to the brain that causes a brief episode of weakness, dizziness, or loss of balance. |
