Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease – Glossary of Medical Terms

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Glossary of Medical Terms
Term	Definition
acetylcholine	A chemical in the brain (neurotransmitter) that appears to be involved in learning and memory – Acetylcholine is greatly diminished in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
alleles	One of the different forms of a gene that can exist at a single locus (spot on a chromosome) or site.
amyloid	A waxy translucent substance consisting of protein in combination with polysaccharides that is deposited in some animal organs and tissues under abnormal conditions (as Alzheimer's disease).
amyloid plaque	Build up of amyloid protein and a primary hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.
amyloid precurser protein	A gene, when mutated, causes an abnormal form of the amyloid protein to be produced. Abbreviated APP.
agnosia	Literally, a condition of not knowing. It is the inability to recognize sensory stimuli. Color agnosia is the inability to recognize colors. Visual agnosia is the inability to recognize objects in the presence of intact visual sensation.
agraphia	An acquired condition of impaired or absent writing ability.
akathisia	A condition of extreme motor restlessness. It is accompanied by subjective feelings of anxiety and restlessness.
akinesia	A state of lowered motor activity
Alzheimer's Disease	A dementia characterized by progressive mental impairment and by the presence of excessive neurofibrillary tangles and senile plaques.
amygdala	One of the structures of the limbic system, important in memory and in the regulation of emotion.
aneurysm	A weak wall of a vein or artery that dilates and fills with blood and that may hemorrhage, destroying surrounding neural tissue.
anomia	Sometimes known as "dysnomia," it is a condition in which the patient has difficulty finding correct words. It is often assessed by a confrontation-naming task.
aphasia	An acquired inability to use certain aspects of language. It can be either an expressive or a receptive language disorder. "Aphasia" is a very broad term that is made more useful by descriptive qualifiers indicating the type of language impairment involved.
APOE APP	The abbreviation for apolipoprotein E - a gene that codes for a protein in lipoproteins (complexes of fat + protein). A gene, when mutated, causes an abnormal form of the amyloid protein to be produced. APP stands for amyloid precurser protein.
apraxia	Impaired ability to perform previously chained skills in a continuous behavior. Construction apraxia is an impairment in reproducing patterns; it is assessed by observing drawing and drafting or by having the patient build three-dimensional objects. Ideational apraxia refers to impairment in the idea of the required behavior; it is usually assessed by asking the patient to perform several linked behaviors. Ideomotor apraxia refers to the inability to demonstrate motor behaviors that were known in the past; it is assessed by asking the patient to pantomime a task, such as using a can opener or using a pair of scissors.
aprosody	A condition in which the coloring, rhythm, melody, cadence, intonation, or emphasis of speech is impaired. A person with this condition is likely to speak in a monotone even when relaying affective material.
arteriosclerosis	A disease of the vascular system characterized by cumulative buildup of fatty deposits on the inner walls of veins and arteries.
ataxia	Loss or failure of muscular coordination. Movement, especially gait, is clumsy and appears to be uncertain. Ataxic patients often sway while walking. Ataxia usually results from an inaccurate sense of position caused by distorted proprioception in the lower limbs. Difficulty with gait increases greatly when the patient is asked to walk with eyes closed.
atonia	Complete lack of muscle tone.
atrophy	Shrinkage of (brain) tissue due to loss of neuronal processes.
attention	The capacity of an individual to screen out certain aspects of the environment and to perceive and process other aspects.
auditory verbal dysnomia	An aphasic deficit characterized by impairment of ability to understand the symbolic significance of verbal communication through the auditory avenue (loss of auditory-verbal comprehension).
aura	A sensory sensory phenomenon that may precede certain neurological conditions such as a seizure or a migraine headache.
autonomic nervous system	That part of the nervous system concerned with visceral and involuntary functions.
autosomal dominant inheritance axon beta amyloid beta-secretase	A gene on one of the autosomes (non-sex chromosomes) that, if present, will almost always produce a specific trait or disease. A long fiber of a nerve cell (a neuron) that acts somewhat like a fiber-optic cable carrying outgoing messages. The portion of a neuron that transmits energy from the cell body to the receptors of other neurons. An amyloid derived from a larger precursor protein and is a component of the neurofibrillary tangles and plaques characteristic of Alzheimer's disease. An enzyme that catalyses the splitting of interior peptide bonds in a protein. Beta-secretase acts by trimming off a protein protruding from a brain cell. This small snip is thought to be the first step in the buildup of microscopic balls of debris known as amyloid that are toxic to brain cells.
bradykinesis	A motor disorder, frequently seen in Parkinson's disease, which results from rigidity of muscles and which is manifested by slow finger movements and loss of fine motor skills such as writing.
celecoxib cerebrovascular disease cerebrospinal cerebrovascular accident	An anti-inflammatory drug thought to reduce Alzheimer's risk in persons with a family history of dementia. Disease of the cerebrum and the blood vessels supplying it. Of or relating to the brain and spinal cord or to these together with the cranial and spinal nerves that innervate voluntary muscles. An ischemic disorder that is produced by a disruption of blood flow in the brain due to an occlusion of a portion of the vascular system from a thrombus or embolus, or from a hemorrhage.
cholinesterase inhibitors clonic movements	Class of drugs known to delay the breakdown of acetylcholine. Spasmodic alteration of contraction and relaxation such as seen in certain forms of epilepsy.
confabulation	A symptom of Korsakoff's syndrome in which the patient supplies ready answers to questions without regard for the truth. The patient who confabulates appears to "fill-in" gaps in memory with plausible facts.
contusion	A form of closed-head injury that produces mild hemorrhaging and associated swelling.
corpus callosum	The brain structure that connects the right and left hemispheres.
cyst	A sac of fluid usually associated with an infectious disorder.
delirium	An acute, global impairment of cognitive functioning. Delirium is usually reversible and is most often due to metabolic disturbances of brain function.
dementia donepezil dopamine	A condition, usually chronic, of global impairment of cognition that occurs in the absence of clouded consciousness. In many cases, such as in Alzheimer’s disease, the condition is progressive. A drug currently approved in preventing the development of Alzheimer's in people diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. An amino acid that occurs especially as a neurotransmitter in the brain.
dysarthria	Acquired impairment in motor aspects of speech. Dysarthric speech may sound slurred or compressed. Spastic dysarthria, associated with pseudobular palsy, is low in pitch and has a raspy sound, with poor articulation. Flaccid dsyarthria, associated with bulbar palsy, has an extremely nasal aspect to its sound. Ataxic dysarthria is associated with cerebellar palsy and produces deficits in articulation and prosody. Hypokinetic dysarthria, found with parkinsonism, results in low-volume speech and less emphasis on accented syllables; there are also articulatory initiation difficulties. Hyperkinetic dysarthria results in prosodic, phonation, and articulatory deficits; the loudness and accents of speech are uncontrolled. There are many disorders that present with combinations of the different types of dysarthria.
dysfluency	A disturbance of the fluency of speech.
dysphagia	Difficulty in swallowing.
dystonia	Involuntary, slow movements that tend to contort a part of the body for a period of time. Dystonic movements tend to involve large portions of the body and have a sinuous quality that, when severe, resembles writhing.
edema	The pooling of fluid within a body space. Swelling of the brain may follow cerebral insult or injury. Cerebral edema results from the accumulation of fluid in intercellular tissue.
embolus	Any foreign object such as an air bubble or blood clot, which becomes lodged in a vessel or artery causing an occlusion of blood flow.
encephalitis enzymes epidemiological epidemiological study estrogen	Inflammation of the brain. Complex proteins that are produced by living cells and bring about specific biochemical reactions at body temperature. All the factors that deal with incidence, distribution and control of disease in a population. Population-based research study. Estrogen is a female hormone produced by the ovaries. Estrogen deficiency can lead to osteoporosis.
fronto-temporal dementia	The term 'fronto-temporal dementia' covers a range of conditions, including Pick's disease, frontal lobe degeneration and dementia associated with motor neuron disease. All are caused by damage to the frontal lobe and/or the temporal parts of the brain. These areas are responsible for our behavior, our emotional responses and our language skills.
gait gamma secretase gene expression glia	The particular manner in which a person moves while walking. An enzyme partly responsible for plaque buildup in the brain characteristic of Alzheimer’s. The screening of large numbers of genes to see whether they're active under certain conditions. Supporting tissue that is intermingled with the essential elements of nervous tissue especially in the brain and spinal cord.
hemorrhage hippocampus homocysteine	Bleeding. An area buried deep in the forebrain that helps regulate emotion and memory. A group of corresponding amino acids found in proteins.
hydrocephalus	Abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranium, producing enlarged ventricles and compression of neural tissue.
hypothalamus	A structure dorsal to the thalamus that regulates sleeping, sexual activity, eating, emotions, and other behaviors.
Ibuprofen idiopathic Indomethacin	A non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug used to relieve pain and fever. A term referring to conditions whose cause is unknown. Epilepsy can be ideopathic or secondary to a known cerebral insult. A non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug,analgesic, used especially in treating arthritis.
ischemia	Any local and temporary deficiency of blood.
Korsakoff’s syndrome	Deterioration of the brain and cognitive abilities (particularly memory) caused by chronic and severe alcohol abuse and resulting thiamine deficiency.
lesion	Any damage to bodily tissues as a result of disease or injury.
Lewy Body Dementia	Lewy Body dementia is characterized by distinct cognitive impairment with fluctuating confusion, disturbance of consciousness, visual hallucinations, delusions, falls, and significant parkinsonism. The hallmark feature is the widespread Lewy bodies throughout the neo and archi cortex with the presence of Lewy body and cell loss in the subcortical nuclei.
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) MCI meninges	A special radiology technique designed to image internal structures of the body using magnetism, radio waves, and a computer to produce the images of body structures. A syndrome of memory impairment that does not significantly impact daily activities and is not accompanied by declines in overall cognitive function. Abbreviation for mild cognitive impairment. Three membranes that protect the brain and provide for venous drainage. The dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid layer comprise the cerebral meninges.
micrographia mitochondria	Writing with very minute letters or only on a small portion of a page. Sometimes seen in patients with seizure disorders. The mitochondria are round or long parts of a organelle or tissue cell. They consist of two sets of membranes and are located in the cell's cytoplasm outside the nucleus.
MRI naproxen neurodegenerative neurofibrillary tangles neuroleptics neurologist neuron neuropsychiatrist neuropsychological neuropsychologist neurotransmitter nystagmus	A special radiology technique designed to image internal structures of the body using magnetism, radio waves, and a computer to produce the images of body structures. MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. An anti-inflammatory agent used in the treatment of rheumatoid conditions. Relating to or characterized by degeneration of nervous tissue. A fine fiber found in cytoplasm signalling an abnormality of the hippocampus and neurons of the cerebral cortex that occurs especially in Alzheimer's disease. A term that refers to the effects of antipsychotic drugs on a patient, especially on his or her cognition and behavior. A doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nervous system. One of the cells that constitute nervous tissue, that have the property of transmitting and receiving nervous impulses. A specialist in the branch of medicine concerned with both neurology and psychiatry. Concerned with the integration of psychological observations on behavior and the mind with neurological observations on the brain and nervous system. A psychologist who has completed special training in the neurobiological causes of brain disorders, and who specializes in diagnosing and treating these illnesses using a predominantly medical (as opposed to psychoanalytical) approach. A substance (as norepinephrine or acetylcholine) that transmits nerve impulses from one cell to another across a synapse. A spasmodic movement of the eyes, either rotary or side-to-side.
paraphasia	A disturbance in the verbal output of a patient. A literal paraphasia involves the substitution of letters in a word, for example, “ridilicous” for “ridiculous.” Semantic or verbal paraphrasia involves the substitution of one word for another. The two words are usually in the same semantic class, for example “shirt” for “pants.”
parathesia	Abnormalities of sensation, especially tactile and somesthetic sensation.
Parkinson’s disease	A disorder that primarily affects the motor functions of the cerebellum. Parkinson’s disease is characterized by tremors and gait disturbances.
Pick’s disease	A form of dementia that affects the frontal and temporal lobes and that is characterized by early loss of social grace and inhibition.
presenile dementia	Severe deterioration of mental functions before the age of 65. Most contemporary investigators minimize the utility of the distinction between presenile and senile dementias.
pseudodementia	Any form of apparent cognitive impairment that is not global and that mimics dementia. A common form is pseudodementia secondary to depression.
rigidity	Increased muscle tone that manifests itself as a resistance to passive movement.
senile dementia	Severe deterioration of mental functions in persons over the age of 65 years. See presenile dementia.
senile plaques	Areas of incomplete necrosis found in persons with primary neuronal degenerative diseases of the brain. Senile plaques can also be found, in the absence of overt pathology, in most elderly people.
spasm	An involuntary contraction or a muscle group. It can be associated with anxiety or fear as well as with a neurological disorder.
spasticity	Abnormal increases in muscle tone.
strabismus	Lack of muscle coordination such that both eyes cannot be directed to the same object.
stroke	A general term used to describe those disorders of the brain that are characterized by disruption of blood flow.
subdurmal hematoma	A lesion that results from bleeding into the subdural space.
synapse	The space between the terminal end of an axon and another cell body. Neurotransmitters are released in the synapse and carry signals from one nerve cell to another.
tic	Stereotyped movements that may be simple or complex. They are most commonly found in the muscles of the face and are sensitive to changes in the level of subjective tension.
tinnitus	Ringing in the ears.
Transient ischemic attacks (TIA’s)	Brief episodes of insufficient blood supply to selected portions of the brain.
tremor	An oscillatory or shaking motion.
ventricles	The spaces within the brain through which cerebrospinal fluid circulates.
vertigo	A sensation of spinning or the perception that external objects are revolving around an individual. Often used somewhat imprecisely to refer to a feeling of dizziness.
Wernicke’s aphasia	An acquired inability to communicate verbally due to impairment of receptive abilities. Associated with lesions in the posterior portion of the dominant hemisphere.

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