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N
NEURO GLIA – See Glia.
NEUROMA - A tumor or new growth largely made up of nerve fibers and connective
tissue.
NEURON – One of two major classes of cells within the nervous system.
Neurons can be classified into one of three major types: sensory, motor
and interneurons. They generate and propagate action potentials and communicate
with each other through billions of connections termed synapses.
NEUROIMAGING – The use of various techniques to either directly or indirectly
image the structure and function of the brain. Structural imaging deals
with the structure of the brain and the diagnosis of large-scale intracranial
diseases and tumors. Functional imaging is used to diagnose metabolic
diseases and lesions on a finer scale, and also for neurological and
cognitive science research.
NEUROIMAGING TECHNIQUES:
NEUROLOGICAL - Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system.
NEUROPATHY - The abnormal function of nerves.
NEUROSTIMULATOR – An electrode connected to a power source (containing
a small battery and programmable computer chip) implanted just under the
skin in the upper chest wall. It is similar to a cardiac pacemaker, and
is used in deep brain stimulation to send mild electrical currents to a
target in the brain in order to block the signals that control tremors
(a symptom of Parkinson’s disease).
NEUROSURGERY – The surgical practice involved with the management and treatment
of disorders of the brain, spine, spinal cord, and nervous system.
NON-INVASIVE PROCEDURE - A diagnostic or therapeutic technique, such as
a CT scan, MRI or X-ray, that does not require the penetration of the body
as by incision or injection.
NUCLEUS PULPOSUS - The jelly-like filling within the center of the intervertebral
disc that gives it its shock absorbing quality. It has a high fluid content
in early years and dries out with age.
O
OCCIPITAL LOBE – The region in the back of the head, which processes
visual perception, and integrates it with auditory and sensory information.
Damage to this lobe can cause deficits in visual reception or visual
association, such as recognition of objects and colors.
OCCIPUT - The back part of the head.
OCCLUSION – To block off. A related procedure to microvascular clipping
in which the surgeon clamps off (occludes) the entire artery that leads
to the aneurysm. An occlusion is sometimes accompanied by a bypass, in
which a small blood vessel is surgically grafted to the brain artery,
rerouting the flow of blood away from the section of the damaged artery.
OSTEOMA - A benign bone tumor.
P
PAIN – An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild localized discomfort
to agony. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation, and
the emotional part from specific nerve fibers that carry the pain impulses
to the brain.
PALSY - Antiquated term referring to paralysis or an uncontrollable shaking
of the body.
PARIETAL LOBES - The two parietal lobes are located at the top of the
brain, behind the frontal lobes. Their main functions are to receive
and process information about temperature, touch and movement coming
from other parts of the body. The right parietal lobe contains the primary
sensory cortex, which controls sensations like touch and pressure, as
well as artistic capability. The left parietal lobe is associated with
science capability and controls fine sensations like judgment, texture,
weight, size and shape. Damage to this area of the brain can result in
spatial deficits, the inability to recognize and discriminate different
body parts, difficulties in eye and hand coordination, and problems with
writing.
PARKINSON’S DISEASE (PD) – A neurodegenerative disorder of the central
nervous system. Parkinson’s disease affects various parts of the body,
causing stiffness in the muscles, slowness, difficulty when starting
movements, and tremor. As these symptoms become more pronounced, patients
may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks.
The disease is both chronic, meaning it persists over a long period of
time, and progressive, meaning its symptoms grow worse over time. Parkinson’s
was discovered and its symptoms documented in 1817 in an “Essay on the
Shaking Palsy” by the British physician Dr. James Parkinson.
PARS INTERARTICULARIS – A thin portion of the vertebral arch that joins
the superior and inferior articular facets.
PEDICLE - The projection of bone from the back of a vertebra that helps
form the ring around the spinal canal.
PERCUTANEOUS – Passage through skin by needle or other object.
PERIPHERAL NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS) - The portion of the nervous system that
consists of the nerves and neurons that reside or extend outside of the
CNS – to serve the limbs and organs. The PNS is divided into the somatic
nervous system (voluntary control of body movements through the action
of skeletal muscles), and the autonomic nervous system (regulation of
involuntary body functions, including those of the heart and intestine).
PET SCAN (POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY SCAN) – A special type
of X-ray, which shows areas of the brain and the heart that have a higher
or lower activity than normal. PET scans measure blood flow and metabolism
within body tissues, and detect abnormalities in how they work. They
are often used when an MRI scan alone is inconclusive.
PILL-ROLLING - One of the characteristic slower tremors in the fingers
of Parkinson's patients; the alternating movements of the thumb and forefinger
give the appearance of rolling a small object between the fingers.
PINCHED NERVES – A type of damage to
a nerve or set of nerves that may result from compression, constriction,
or stretching of the nerves, and a common cause of on-the-job injury. Symptoms
include numbness, “pin and needles” or burning sensations,
and pain radiating outward from the injured area. One of the most
common examples of a single compressed nerve is the feeling of having
a foot or hand “fall asleep”. Pinched nerves can lead
to other conditions such as peripheral neuropathy, carpel tunnel syndrome,
and tennis elbow. The extent of such injuries may vary from minor,
temporary damage to a more permanent condition.
PITUITARY
- (the "Master Gland") The gland at base of the brain that secretes
hormones into the blood stream. Those hormones then regulate other
glands including the thyroid, adrenals and gonads.
POSITRON EMMISON TOMOGRAPHY (PET) – A type of nuclear imaging
that shows the metabolic activities (energy usage) of the brain. PET
utilizes computed tomography (CT) and a radioactive tracer that allows
doctors to measure blood flow, blood volume. Oxygen usage. Tissue pH
(acidity), glucose (sugar) metabolism, and drug activity. PET is
useful in watching the activity of cancerous tumors. Because malignant
cells grow at such fast rate, they metabolize more sugar than normal
cells and reveal how aggressive a tumor is or how its growth is slowed
by treatment therapies. PET can be used for pre-surgical evaluation
of medically uncontrolled seizures. By detecting metabolic changes
in the brain, the surgeon can pinpoint the nonfunctioning area of the
brain causing seizures.
POSTERIOR - The reference to a spine surgery approach through the back
side of the cervical or lumbar spine.
POSTERIOR LUMBAR INTERBODY FUSION (PLIF) – The spinal fusion technique
in which the disc is removed through the lower back of the spinal canal
and a bone graft is inserted in the intervertebral space also through
the back.
PREFRONTAL CORTEX - The prefrontal cortex of the frontal lobe is important
for the “higher cognitive functions,” including planning, organization,
problem solving, selective attention, personality, and the control of
emotional expression.
PREMOTOR CORTEX - The premotor cortex of the frontal lobe works in association
with the motor area to execute movement in our daily activities. It helps
by planning movement before the motor cortex actually sends the commanding
signals to the body.
PROCESSES - A projection of bone from the vertebrae connected by muscles
and ligaments. Behind the vertebral body, there are two transverse processes
and one spinous process. The spinous process comes out the back, and
one transverse process extends from each the left and right side. This
portion of the bone is often the area to which a bone graft is affixed
for a spinal fusion.
PSYCHOSURGERY – Brain surgery intended to relieve severe and otherwise
intractable mental or behavioral problems.
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