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| A |
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| Alzheimer's disease |
- progressive mental deterioration characterized
by memory loss, confusion, and disorientation, starting in mid-life;
associated with neuron death and degeneration in the portions
of the brain that carry out these functions, namely the cerebral
cortex and basal forebrain.progressive mental deterioration
characterized by memory loss, confusion, and disorientation,
starting in mid-life; associated with neuron death and degeneration
in the portions of the brain that carry out these functions,
namely the cerebral cortex and basal forebrain. |
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| Aneurysm |
- a bulge or dilation of an artery that can leak
or rupture. |
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| Axons |
- the single microscopic process that extends
from a neuron for short or long distances and carries the electrical
impulse to another neuron; axons end as synapses. |
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| Axotomy |
- cutting or severing an axon; often this leads
to death of the "parent" neuron that produces the axon. |
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| B |
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| C |
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| Cellular |
- anything that involves the structural and functional
properties of any type of living cells; in the brain this can
refer to neurons, glia, or blood cells. |
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| Cerebral Ventricles |
the small chambers deep within the brain that
contain CSF |
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| Cerebrospinal fluid |
- (CSF) the fluid, 99% of which is water, that
fills the cerebral ventricles and surrounds the brain in the
subarachnoid space; CSF is made within the cerebral ventricles
from the choroid plexus and flows out of the brain to be absorbed
into the blood stream. |
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| Congenital |
- referring to events or processes that occur
during the gestational period; usually these are genetic events
that involve DNA. |
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| Cranial cavity |
- the chamber inside the skull that houses the
brain. |
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| CSF |
- cerebrospinal fluid |
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| D |
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| Deafferentation |
- removal of input (information) from neurons
or from parts of the brain. |
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| Dementia |
- loss of mental function. |
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| Demyelination |
- loss of the insulation (myelin) that surrounds
axons and makes up white matter. |
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| Dendrites/dendritic |
- multiple process that extend from the cell body
of neurons and form the receptive surface for input from other
neurons; dendrites can be so elaborate that they are often called
"dendritic trees". |
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| Deterioration |
- referring to any loss of structure
or function; may or may not lead to cell death or permanent
elimination of cell processes. |
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| E |
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| Edema |
- swelling of tissue, usually caused by accumulation
of excess fluids (i.e. water, blood); both the spaces between
cells and cells themselves can become 'edematous'. |
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| Endoscope |
an instrument (usually narrow with a miniature
camera at the tip) that allows examination of the interior or
cavities or vessels; neuroendoscopes can be used to visualize
the interior of the cerebral ventricles. |
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| Experimental animal
models |
- animals that have a genetic form
(mutation) or have been manipulated to mimic a disease or disorder;
a few strains rats and mice develop hereditary hydrocephalus;
other animal models exist in which hydrocephalus is induced
by mechanical obstruction of the CSF flow pathways. |
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| F |
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| Fontanelle |
- the "soft spot" on the forehead; it represents
the region where the bony plates of the skull join. |
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| G |
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| Glia/Glial |
- referring to a type of cell in the nervous system
that functions to 'support' neurons; nourishment is provided
by astrocytes; infections are fought by microglia and astrocytes
- these same types of glial cells respond to brain damage and
remove dead cells and debris; myelin is made by oligodendroglia
and wraps around axons. |
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| Gliosis |
- the response of astrocytes and microglia to
any damage or 'insult' to the nervous system. |
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| H |
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| Hemorrhage |
- bleeding; can result in the formation of a blot
clot in or on the surface of the brain. |
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| I |
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| In utero |
- reference to events that take place in the uterus
or during the gestation period. |
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| Incontinence |
- inability to prevent the discharge
of urine or feces. |
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| Internal jugular vein |
- the main vessels that drains blood from the
brain to the heart. |
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| Intracranial pressure |
- pressure that can build up in the brain, the
cranial cavity, or within the cerebrospinal fluid; abbreviated
ICP; usually, but not always, equally distributed within brain
or CSF. |
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| Ischemia |
- a decrease in cerebral blood flow sufficient
to alter neuronal function; can lead to cell death if severe
or continuous for long periods of time. |
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| J |
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| K |
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| L |
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| Lateral ventricle |
the small chamber 2-3 cm beneath the surface of
the brain that contains CSF; most of the CSF is made by the
choroid plexus that lays on the floor of the lateral ventricles;
CSF must pass from the right and left lateral ventricles through
a narrow channel called the foramen of Monro to enter the third
ventricle, and eventually exit the brain. |
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| M |
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| Mechanical |
- referring to physical events or processes, i.e.
hydrocephalus has a mechanical influence on the brain by compressing
and stretching tissue. |
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| Meningitis |
- inflammation of the meninges (the tissues that
surround the brain or spinal cord) caused by a bacterial infection;
symptoms include headache and stiff neck and fever and nausea
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| Molecular |
- referring to biological processes that involve
molecules, i.e. changes in proteins or DNA. |
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| Multifactorial |
- involving many factors at the same time. |
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| N |
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| Neonatal |
- newborn; relating to the period immediately
preceeding birth and continuing through the first 28 days of
life. |
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| Neurological |
- relating to functions carried out by the nervous
system, such as sensation, movement, and learning. |
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| Neurotransmitter |
- chemicals used by neurons for communication;
released at the synapse to stimulate the adjacent neuron. |
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| Normal pressure hydrocephalus |
- a condition in which the cerebral ventricles
are enlarged but intracranial pressure is usually not elevated;
characterized by memory loss, problems with walking, and lack
of bladder/bowel control. |
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| O |
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| Over-drainage |
- a condition in which too much CSF is withdrawn
from the cerebral ventricles; this can result in 'slit ventricle
syndrome'. |
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| P |
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| Pathophysiology |
- related to brain damage or improper function,
or the processes that cause these problems. |
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| Peritoneum |
- the thin lining of body cavities; CSF can be
absorbed easily through the peritoneum lining the abdominal
cavity. |
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| Prenatal |
- related to the period before birth. |
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| Primary mechanisms |
- in brain pathology, those processes or events
that have a direct or early effect on brain tissue. |
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| Q |
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| R |
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| Receptor |
- a specialized portion on the surface of a cell
to which substances (usually proteins) carrying information
can bind; thus, synaptic receptors function to 'turn on' or
'turn off' neurons. |
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| S |
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| Secondary mechanisms |
- in brain pathology, those process or events
have a later or prolonged effect on brain tissue; i.e. neuron
death can occur secondary to cerebral ischemia. |
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| Seizures |
- abnormal overactivity of neurons, usually resulting
in muscle contractions. |
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| Shunt |
- a tube (catheter) that drains cerebrospinal
fluid from the brain to another cavity in the body; shunts usually
have complicated valves that regulate the flow of CSF. |
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| Siphoning |
- a situation in which the pressure within a shunt
is lower outside the brain than within the cerebral ventricles;
this usually causes overdrainage of cerebrospinal fluid and
can result in 'slit ventricle syndrome'. |
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| Stroke |
-a sudden loss of consciousness resulting when
the rupture or occlusion of a blood vessel leads to oxygen lack
in the brain. |
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| Subarachnoid space |
-thin chamber (less than 1 mm) on the surface
of the brain that is filled with cerebrospinal fluid; CSF must
flow through the subarachnoid space to reach the venous structures
that absorb it into the blood stream; the major arteries and
veins also pass through the subarachnoid space; this extensive
space is subdivided by partial walls into "cisterns", the largest
of which is called the cisterna magna. |
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| Synapses |
-the microscopic "contacts" between nerve cells
that allow information to be passed from one cell to the next;
for each synapse, a thin gap exists between the end of one axon
and the surface of the neuron receiving the input; electrical
impulses cannot "jump" across this gap, thus chemicals (or neurotransmitters)
are used to cross the synapse and stimulate the recipient neuron;
synapses can be either "excitatory" or "inhibitory", and stimulate
or turn off the recipient neuron, respectively. |
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| Synaptic plasticity |
-the ability for synapses to change their location
or function; this form of "regeneration" is important for learning,
and allows neurons to take over functions lost by neighboring
cells that die. |
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| T |
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| Third ventricle |
-the thin chamber deep in the brain that contains
CSF and connects the lateral ventricles to the cerebral aqueduct;
CSF must flow through the third ventricle in order to exit the
brain. |
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| Third ventriculoscopy |
-the surgical process of making a small hole in
the floor of the third ventricle so that CSF can escape into
the subarachnoid space. |
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| Tunneled |
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| U |
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| V |
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| Venous system |
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| Ventricles |
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| Ventriculomegaly |
- enlargement of the cerebral ventricles, usually
as a result of excess CSF |
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| W |
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| X |
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| Y |
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| Z |
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Hydrocephalus
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