Neuro Terms to Know

A group of pharmaceutical drugs that cause delirium. They work by stimulation the muscarinic receptor in your nervous system that binds to acetylcholine. As as result, hallucinogens can cause memory loss as well as vivid hallucinations. Examples include: scopolamine and diphenhydramine as well as certain street drugs, such as LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide).

Also known as brain cat scan. This is a series of X-rays of the head which are shot from many different directions to generate an image of your brain and skull.

A neurological condition or disorder of the head muscles and nerves, which often involves the neck muscles and nerves. This is also the most common medical complaint that doctors see.

The uncontrolled motion of a person's limb or limbs which occurs due to damage of the part of the brain called the basal ganglia.

A neurological injury which occurs when a person's brain artery ruptures and damage brain tissue. This type of stroke is  usually related to  hypertension and or a weak brain vessel that bursts.

A non-pharmaceutical drug binds to the opioid receptor in the central nervous system. It is a common substance of abuse because of the drug's addiction potential.

A skin rash which can be painful and is composed of groups of vesicles that occur in a particular nerve pattern (dermatome).  If you had chicken pox as a child you are more likely to get a zoster rash later on in life.

The region of your brain that assists to convert new learned information into your long term memory circuits.

A state of physiological equilibrium in which your body automatically remain stable despite of changes  in your external environment.

Hormones are biological chemicals that act as messengers. They are being made in one part of the body, such as the brain and they travel to other parts of the body to control how cells and organs function.

A hereditary condition causing degeneration of the neurons in a person's basal ganglia and central cortex. The disease is fatal.

A neurological disorder in where a person's brain fluid spaces are distended. It is caused by the inadequate passage of cerebrospinal fluid from the fluid spaces in the brain where it is made out into the body's circulatory system.

An increased sensitivity to pain.

Also called high blood pressure. It is when you have a blood pressure that measures hight that 140 over 90 mmHg (mmHg is a measure of pressure). The top number of your blood pressure is called the systolic reading which measures the pressure generated in your vessels as the heart pumps around the body.The bottom number of your blood pressure is called the diastolic reading, measures the pressure in your vessels as your heart relaxes and fills with blood.

A neurotransmitter that promotes your awake state.

A portion of the brain that is composed of group of small nuclei (biological components that controls and regulates the activities of the nerve cells) that have a variety of functions. The hypothalamus links the nervous system to the endocrine system by way of the pituitary gland.