Muscle Diseases and Disorders
Aran-Duchenne disease a disease characterized by a progressive wasting away of muscles.
ataxia lack of muscle coordination.
atrophy withering of muscle when not used for long periods.
bursa a fluid-filled sac composed of connective tissue often present over bony projections, between tendons, and between movable areas or joints to ease friction.
bursitis inflammation of bursa.
contracture a shortening and immobilizing of a muscle; a permanent contraction.
epicondylitis inflammation of the forearm extensor tendons causing elbow and forearm pain and a weak grasp. Also known as tennis elbow.
muscular dystrophy a disease characterized by a progressive wasting of muscles, usually beginning in childhood.
myalgia muscle pain.
myasthenia gravis a disease characterized by a wasting of muscles, particularly those used in swallowing.
myokymia muscle twitching. myopathy disease of muscle. myosarcoma malignant tumor of muscle. myositis an inflamed muscle. tendinitis inflammation of a tendon.
nervous system
Brain
alexia the inability to understand the written word, a symptom of a brain condition.
amusia loss of the ability to play a musical instrument, due to a brain condition.
amygdala an almond-shaped part of the limbic system involved in producing and regulating emotion, especially fear and aggression, and is the center of the fight-or-flight response. Hyperactivity of the amygdala is seen in people with depression and social phobia. People with bipolar disorder have been noted to have smaller amygdala.
anomia the inability to remember names, due to a brain disorder.
anterior referring to any part toward the front.
anterior commissure a connecting fiber between the right and left hemispheres.
aphasia the inability to speak or articulate clearly, usually caused by a stroke.
apoplexy a stroke.
appestat the portion of the brain that regulates appetite.
apraxia the loss of muscle coordination, due to a brain condition.
arachnoid one of three protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord.
asemia an inability to comprehend speech or the written word, due to a brain condition.
astroblastoma a malignant brain tumor.
autonomic nervous system the part of the brain and nervous system that, without conscious effort, controls breathing, digestion, blood flow, etc.
basal ganglia a knot of nerve cells, thought to be involved in motor function, found in the cerebrum.
beta rhythm the low-voltage electrical brain wave that predominates when someone is awake and alert.
blood-brain barrier a system that filters out harmful chemicals or substances from the blood and prevents them from entering and possibly damaging the brain.
brain stem the lowest and most primitive portion of the brain, located at the top of the spinal cord and involved in breathing.
Broca's region an egg-shaped patch in the left frontal cortex; it controls muscle coordination of the face, tongue, throat, and jaw and is also involved with the processing of music.
central nervous system a collective term for the brain and spinal cord.
cerebellum the portion of the brain in the back of the skull and beneath the cerebrum; it is responsible for muscular coordination and balance and may also be involved in the consolidation of long-term memories of frightening events.
cerebral cortex composed of gray matter, the heavily folded, topmost portion of the front of the brain, involved in attention, consciousness, thought, reasoning, language, and memory. It is the latest portion of the brain to evolve.
cerebrospinal fluid a clear fluid that cushions the brain and spinal cord to protect them from blows.
cerebrum the large portion of brain extending around the top of the skull; it is responsible for higher thought processes, such as perception, memory, and reasoning.
concussion unconsciousness and brain swelling caused by the brain striking the skull, due to a blow.
convolution one of several deep folds in the cerebrum.
corpus callosum the structure made of strands of fibers that connects the right hemisphere of the brain with the left.
cortex the outer surface and folds of the cerebrum. cranium the top of the skull.
delta waves the high-voltage brain waves that predominate when someone is asleep.
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex a portion of the pre- frontal cortex involved in reading and concentration.
dura mater the outer covering of the brain.
dysphasia difficulty in speaking or understanding speech, due to a brain condition.
electroencephalogram otherwise known as an EEG, a graphical recording of the electrical activity of the brain.
electroencephalograph the machine that records the electrical activity of the brain.
encephalitis inflammation of the brain.
encephalomeningitis infection of the brain and dura mater.
encephalon the brain.
encephalosclerosis hardening of the brain.
epilepsy a brain condition characterized by electrical disturbances that cause seizures and loss of consciousness.
forebrain the front portion of the brain, the latest to evolve, after the midbrain and the hindbrain.
frontal lobe the left and right lobes, located at the front of the cortex, in front of the forehead, the center of reasoning, judgment, and planning. Damage to this area, through blows to the head or illness, may cause frontal lobe syndrome, a mental disorder characterized by short attention span, tactless or insensitive behavior, impulsiveness, and criminal behavior.
fusiform gyrus a fold or convolution in the temporal lobe, active in face recognition.
Geschwind's territory in the parietal lobe of the cortex, a region that connects Broca's region with Wernicke's area and is thought to be involved in childhood language acquisition.
gray matter the gray or darker portions of the brain containing concentrated neuron cells and including the cerebral cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia, and the outer layer of the cerebellum. Gray matter is found in lower concentrations in people with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, but it is unknown if it is the cause or the effect.
gyrus any one of the elevated convolutions at the surface of the cerebrum.
hemisphere the left or right division of the cerebrum.
Heschl's gyrus in the temporal lobe, a convolution involved in language and music processing.
hindbrain the oldest part of the brain, evolving before the midbrain and the forebrain, at the back of the head.
hippocampus in the limbic lobe, a seahorse-shaped area involved in the formation and storage of memory, which is known to shrink beginning in middle age, causing, most notably, deficiencies in face-name associations. The hippocampus is also involved in triggering memories in response to smells.