Can You Define The Correct Meaning Of These Medical Terminologies Flashcards

caus/o burning, burn concuss/o shaken together, violently agitated contus/o bruise encephal/o brain -esthesia sensation, feeling esthet/o feeling, nervous sensation, sense of perception -graphy the process of producing a picture or record klept/o to steal -mania obsessive preoccupation mening/o membranes, meninges myel/o spinal cord, bone marrow neur/i, neur/o nerve, nerve tissue -phobia abnormal fear psych/o mind -tropic having an affinity for acrophobia acr/o = top; -phobia = abnormal fear an excessive fear of being in high places Alzheimer's disease a group of disorders involving the parts of the brain that control thought, memory, & language; marked by progressive deterioration that affects both memory & reasoning capabilities of an individual Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) rapidly progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells responsible for controlling voluntary muscles; patients affected become weaker until completely paralyzed & die anesthetic an- = without; esthet = feeling; -ic = pertaining to the medication used to induce anesthesia; the anesthetic may be topical, local, regional, or general anesthetist an- = without; esthet = feeling; -ist = specialist a medical professional who specializes in administering anesthesia, but is not a physician; example = nurse anesthetist anxiety disorders mental conditions characterized by excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, or fear that's out of proportion to the real danger in a situation autism (autistic disorders) a group of conditions in which a young child can't develop normal social relationships, compulsively follows repetitive routines, & frequently has poor communication skills Bell's palsy the temporary paralysis of the 7th cranial nerve that causes paralysis only of the affected side of face carotid ultrasonography ultra- = beyond; son/o = sound; -graphy = process of producing a picture or record ultrasound study of the carotid artery; diagnostic test is performed to detect plaque buildup in the artery to predict or diagnose an ischemic stroke causalgia caus = burning; -algia = pain persistent, severe burning pain that usually follows an injury to a sensory nerve cerebral contusion concuss = shaken together; -ion = condition or state of the bruising of brain tissue as the result of head injury that causes the brain to bounce against the rigid bone of the skull cerebral palsy condition characterized by poor muscle control, spasticity, speech defects, & other neurologic deficiencies due to damage that affects cerebrum cerebrovascular accident (stroke or CVA) damage to the brain that occurs when the blood flow to the brain is disrupted because a blood vessel is either blocked or has ruptured cervical radiculopathy radicul/o = nerve root; -pathy = disease is nerve pain caused by pressure on the spinal nerve roots in the neck region claustrophobia claustr/o = barrier; -phobia = abnormal fear an abnormal fear of being in narrow or enclosed spaces cognition describes the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory coma a profound (deep) state of unconsciousness marked by the absence of spontaneous eye movements, no response to painful stimuli, & the lack of speech concussion concuss = shaken together; -ion = condition or state of a violent shaking up or jarring of the brain; may result in a temporary loss of awareness & function cranial hematoma hemat = blood; -oma = tumor a collection of blood trapped in the tissues of the brain delirium an acute condition of confusion, disorientation, disordered thinking & memory, agitation & hallucinations delirium tremens a disorder involving sudden & severe mental changes or seizures caused by abruptly stopping the use of alcohol delusion a false personal belief that is maintained despite obvious proof or evidence to the contrary; belief is not ordinarily accepted by other members of the individual's culture or religious faith dementia a slowly progressive decline in mental abilities, including memory, thinking, & judgment; is often accompanied by personality changes dura mater dura = hard; mater = mother the thick, tough, outermost membrane of the meninges; inner surface of cranium is lined w/ dura mater dyslexia (developmental reading disorder) a learning disability characterized by substandard reading achievement due to the inability of the brain to process symbols echoencephalography ech/o = sound; encephal/o = brain; -graphy = process of producing a picture or record is the use of ultrasound imaging to diagnose a shift in the midline structures of the brain electroencephalography electr/o = electric the process of recording the electrical activity of the brain through the use of electrodes attached to the scalp encephalitis encelphal = brain; -itis = inflammation an inflammation of the brain, can be caused by a viral infection such as rabies * compare w/ meningitis epidural anesthesia regional anesthesia produced by injecting a local anesthetic into the epidural space of the lumbar or sacral region of spine epilepsy (seizure disorder) a chronic neurological condition characterized by recurrent episodes of seizures of varying severity; can usually be controlled w/ medication factitious disorder a condition in which an individual acts as if he or she has a physical or mental illness when he/she is not really sick Guillain-Barre syndrome (infectious polyneuritis) an inflammation of the myelin sheath of peripheral nerves, characterized by rapidly worsening muscle weakness that can lead to temporary paralysis hallucination is a sensory perception (sight, touch, sound, smell, or taste) experienced in the absence of an external stimulation hemorrhagic stroke (bleed) occurs when a blood vessel in the brain leaks; a bleed also occurs when an aneurysm with the brain ruptures hydrocephalus hydr/o = water; cephal = head; -us = singular noun ending a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the ventricles of the brain; can occur at birth or develop later in life hyperesthesia hyper- = excessive; -esthesia = sensation or feeling a condition of abnormal and excessive sensitivity to touch, pain, or other sensory stimuli hypochondriasis is characterized by fearing that one has a serious illness despite appropriate medical evaluation & reassurance ischemic stroke the most common type of stroke in older people, occurs when the flow of blood to the brain in blocked lethargy is a lowered level of consciousness marked by listlessness, drowsiness, & apathy meningitis mening = meninges; -itis = inflammation an inflammation of the meninges of the brain & spinal cord; can be fatal, usually caused by a bacterial or viral infection meningocele mening/o = meninges; -cele = hernia the congenital herniation of the meninges through a defect in the skull or spinal column; compare w/ encephalocele migraine headache can be preceded by a warning aura, characterized by throbbing pain on one side of the head multiple sclerosis a progressive autoimmune disorder characterized by inflammation that causes demyelination of the myelin sheath myelitis myel = spinal cord & bone marrow; -itis = inflammation an inflammation of the spinal cord; also means inflammation of bone marrow myelography a radiographic study of the spinal cord after the injection of a contrast medium through a lumbar puncture narcolepsy narc/o = stupor; -lepsy = seizure a sleep disorder consisting of sudden & uncontrollable brief episodes of falling asleep during the day neurostransmitters chemical substances that make it possible for messages to cross from the synapse of a neuron to the target receptor; 200 - 300 neurotransmitters obsessive-compulsive disorder an axiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unwanted obsessions and/or recurrent compulsions panic attack characterized by a group of intense emotional feelings that include apprehension, fearfulness, & terror; emotions accomp. by physical symptoms paresthesia par- = abnormal; -esthesia = sensation or feeling refers to a burning or prickling sensation that is usually felt in the hands, arms, legs, or feet, but can also occur in other parts of the body Parkinson's disease (PD) a chronic, degenerative central nervous disorder characterized by fine muscle tremors, rigidity, & a slow or shuffling gait peripheral neuropathy (peripheral neuritis) a disorder of the nerves that carry information to & from the brain and spinal cord; produces pain, loss of sensation, & inability to control muscles posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may develop after an event involving actual or threatened death or injury to the individual or someone else, during which the person felt intense fear, helplessness, or horror Reye's syndrome (RS) a potentially serious or deadly disorder in children that is characterized by vomiting & confusion schizophrenia a psychotic disorder usually characterized by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, & hallucinations sciatica inflammation of the sciatic nerve that results in pain, burning, & tingling along the course of the affected sciatic nerve through thigh, leg, & foot shaken baby syndrome describes the results of a child being violently shaken by someone; action can cause brain injury, blindness, fractures, seizures, paralysis, & death syncope (fainting) the brief loss of consciousness caused by the decreased flow of blood to the brain trichotillomania trichotill/o = related to hair; -mania = madness a disorder characterized by the repeated pulling out of one's own hair trigeminal neuralgia characterized by severe lightning-like pain due to an inflammation of the 5th cranial nerve; affect the cheek, lips, & gums on side of face innervated by the affected nerve