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| cerebrum (largest part of brain) |
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| cerebellum (little brain) |
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| spinal cord or bone marrow |
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| exaggerated fear or sensitivity |
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| three dimensional or solid |
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| ventricle (belly or pouch) |
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| abnormal impulse (attraction) toward |
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| central nervous system (CNS) |
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| portion of CNS contained within the cranium |
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| largest portion of the brain; divided into right and left halves, known as cerebral hemispheres, that are connected by a bridge of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum; lobes of the cerebrum are named after the skull bones they underlie |
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| anterior section of each cerebral hemisphere responsible for voluntary muscle movement and personality |
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| portion posterior to the frontal lobe, responsible for sensations such as pain, temperature, and touch |
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| portion that lies below the frontal lobe, responsible for hearing, taste, and smell |
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| central nervous system = brain and spinal cord |
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| portion posterior to the parietal and temporal lobes, responsible for vision |
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| outer layer of cerebrum consisting of gray matter, responsible for higher mental functions (cortex = bark) |
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| each of two gray matter nuclei deep within the brain responsible for relaying sensory information to the cortex |
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| convolutions (mounds) of the cerebral hemispheres |
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| shallow grooves that separate gyri |
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| deep grooves in the brain |
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| portion of the brain located below the occipital lobes of the cerebrum, responsible for control and coordination of skeletal muscles |
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| region of the brain that serves as a relay between the cerebrum, cerebellum, and spinal cord; responsible for breathing, heart rate, and body temperature; the three levels are the mesencephalon (midbrain), pons, and medulla oblongata |
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| series of interconnected cavities within the cerebral hemispheres and brainstem filled with cerebrospinal fluid |
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| plasma-like clear fluid circulating in and around the brain and spinal cord |
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| column of nervous tissue from the brainstem through the vertebrae, responsible for nerve conduction to and from the brain and the body |
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| three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, consisting of the dura mater, pia mater, and arachnoid mater |
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| peripheral nervous system (PNS) |
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| nerves that branch from the CNS, including nerves of the brain (cranial nerves) and spinal cord (spinal nerves) |
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| 12 pairs of nerves arising from the brain |
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| 31 pairs of nerves arising from the spinal cord |
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| nerves that conduct impulses from body parts and carry sensory information to the brain; also called afferent nerves (ad = toward; ferre = carry) |
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| nerves that conduct motor impulses from the brain to muscles and glands; also called efferent nerves (e = out; ferre = carry) |
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| autonomic nervous system (ANS) |
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| nerves that carry involuntary impulses to smooth muscle; cardiac muscle, and various glands |
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| peripheral nervous system |
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| control center for the autonomic nervous system located below the thalamus (diencephalon) |
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| sympathetic nervous system |
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| division of the ANS concerned primarily with preparing the body in stressful or emergency situations |
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| parasympathetic nervous system |
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| division of the ANS that is most active in ordinary conditions; it counterbalances the effects of the sympathetic system by restoring the body to a restful state after a stressful experience |
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| a deep sleep; a general term referring to levels of decreased consciousness with varying responsiveness; a common method of assessment is the Glasgow coma scale |
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| a state of mental confusion caused by disturbances in cerebral function; the many causes include fever, shock, or drug overdose (deliro = to draw the furrow awry when plowing, i.e., to go off the rails) |
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| an impairment of intellectual function characterized by memory loss, disorientation, and confusion (dementio = to be mad) |
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| loss or impairment of muscle function |
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| loss or impairment of sensation |
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| pain along the course of a nerve |
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| temporary or permanent loss of motor control |
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| defective (flabby) or absent muscle control caused by a nerve lesion |
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| stiff and awkward muscle control caused by a CNS disorder |
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| partial paralysis of the right or left half of the body |
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| pain that follows the pathway of the sciatic nerve caused by compression or trauma of the nerve or its roots |
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| sudden, transient disturbances in brain function resulting from abnormal firing of nerve impulses (may or may not be associated with convulsion) |
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| to pull together; type of seizure that causes a series of sudden, involuntary contractions of muscles |
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| evoking a response by touching |
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| increased sensitivity to stimulation such as touch or pain |
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| abnormal sensation of numbness and tingling without objective cause |
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| any of many types of loss of neurologic function involving interpretation of sensory information |
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| inability to judge the form of an object by touch (e.g. , a coin from a key) |
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| inability to locate a sensation properly, such as to locate a point touched on the body |
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| disease of structural changes in the brain resulting in an irreversible deterioration that progresses from forgetfulness and disorientation to loss of all intellectual functions, total disability, and death |
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| condition of motor dysfunction caused by damage to the cerebrum during development of injury at birth; characterized by partial paralysis and lack of muscle coordination (palsy = paralysis) |
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| disorder resulting from a change within one or more blood vessels of the brain |
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| cerebral arteriosclerosis |
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| hardening of the arteries of the brain |
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| condition of lipid (fat) buildup within the blood vessels of the brain (ather/o = fatty [lipid] paste) |
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| dilation of a blood vessel in the brain (aneurysm = dilation or widening) |
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| presence of a stationary clot in a blood vessel of the brain |
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| cerebrovascular accident (CVA) |
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| stroke = damage to the brain caused by cerebrovascular disease; e.g., occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus or thrombus or intracranial hemorrhage after rupture of an aneurysm |
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| transient ischemic attack (TIA) |
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| brief episode of loss of blood flow to the brain; usually caused by a partial occlusion that results in temporary neurologic deficit (impairment); often precedes a CVA |
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| inflammation of the brain |
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| disorder affecting the CNS, characterized by recurrent seizures |
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| cerebrovascular accident = stroke |
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| transient ischemic attack |
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| CVA = damage to the brain caused by cerebrovascular disease; e.g., occlusion of a blood vessel by an embolus or thrombus or intracranial hemorrhage after rupture of an aneurysm |
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| hereditary disease of the CNS characterized by bizarre involuntary body movements and progressive dementia (choros = dance) |
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| stiffening-jerking; a major motor seizure involving all muscle groups; previously termed grand mal (big bad) seizure |
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| seizure involving a brief loss of consciousness without motor involvement; previously termed petit mal (little bad) seizure |
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| seizure involving only limited areas of the brain with localized symptoms |
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| tumor of glial cells graded by degree of malignancy |
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| protrusion of a degenerated or fragmented intervertebral disk so that the nucleus pulposus protrudes, causing compression on the nerve root |
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| viral disease affecting the peripheral nerves characterized by painful blisters that spread over the skin following the affected nerves; usually unilateral; also known as shingles |
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| hereditary disease of the CNS characterized by bizarre involuntary body movements and progressive dementia (choros = dance) |
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| abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain as a result of developmental anomalies, infection, injury, or tumor |
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| benign tumor of the coverings of the brain (meninges) |
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| inflammation of the meninges |
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| paroxysmal (sudden, periodic) attacks of mostly unilateral headache often accompanied by disordered vision, nausea, or vomiting, lasting hours or days, and caused by dilation of arteries |
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| disease of the CNS characterized by the demyelination (deterioration of the myelin sheath) of nerves fibers, with episodes of neurologic dysfunction (exacerbation) followed by recovery (remission) |
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| autoimmune disorder that affects the neuromuscular junction causing a progressive decrease in muscle strength; activity resumes and strength returns after a period of rest |
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| inflammation of the spinal cord |
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| sleep disorder characterized by a sudden, uncontrollable need to sleep, attacks of paralysis (cataplexy), and dreams intruding while awake (hypnagogic hallucinations) |
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| slowly progressive degeneration of nerves in the brain characterized by tremor, rigidity of muscles, and slow movements (bradykinesia), usually occurring later in life |
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| paralysis on one side of the body |
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| paralysis from the waist down |
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| paralysis of all four limbs |
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| inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord caused by a virus, often resulting in spinal and muscle deformity and paralysis (polio = gray) |
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| inflammation involving two or more nerves, often caused by a nutritional deficiency such as lack of thiamine |
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| periods of breathing cessation (10 seconds or more) that occur during sleep, often causing snoring |
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| congenital defect in the spinal column characterized by the absence of vertebral arches, often resulting in pouching of spinal membranes or tissue |
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| introduction of a specialized needle into the spine in the lumbar region for diagnostic or therapeutic purpose, such as to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for testing; also called spinal tap |
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| magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) |
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| nonionizing imaging technique using magnetic fields (MRI) and radiofrequency waves to visualize anatomic structures (especially soft tissue) such as the tissues of the brain and spinal cord |
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| electroencephalogram (EEG) |
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| record of the minute electrical impulses of the brain, used to identify neurologic conditions that affect brain function and level of consciousness |
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| minute electrical waves that are sorted out of ongoing EEG activity to diagnose auditory, visual, and sensory pathway disorders |
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| recording of various aspects of sleep (e.g., eye and muscle movements, respiration, and EEG patterns) to diagnose sleep disorders |
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| magnetic resonance imaging |
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| magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) |
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| magnetic resonance imaging of the blood vessels, for detecting pathologic conditions such as thrombosis and atherosclerosis |
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| magnetic resonance angiography |
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| MRI of the head to visualize the vessels of the circle of Willis (common site of cerebral aneurysm, stenosis, or occlusion) |
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| MRI of the neck to visualize the carotid artery |
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| radionuclide organ imaging |
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| SPECT brain scan (single photon emission computed tomography) |
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| scan combining nuclear medicine and computed tomography to produce images of the brain after administration of radioactive isotopes |
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| positron emission tomography (PET) |
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| technique combining nuclear medicine and computed tomography to produce images of brain anatomy and corresponding physiology, used to study stroke, Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, metabolic brain disorders, chemistry of nerve transmissions in the brain, and so on; provides greater accuracy than SPECT but is used less often because of cost and limited availability of the radioisotopes |
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| single photon emission computed tomography |
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| positron emission tomography |
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| x-ray of blood vessels in the brain after intracranial injection of contrast medium |
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| computed tomography (of the head) |
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| computed tomographic x-ray images of the head used to visualize abnormalities; such as brain tumors and malformations |
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| x-ray of the spinal cord made after intraspinal injection of contrast medium |
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| test performed to observe the body’s response to a stimulus |
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| deep tendon reflexes (DTR) |
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| involuntary muscle contraction after percussion at a tendon (e.g., patella, Achilles) indicating function; positive findings are either no reflex response or an exaggerated response to stimulus; numbers are often used to record responses: +1 diminished response, +2 normal response, +3 more brisk than average response, +4 hyperactive response |
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| pathologic response to stimulation of the plantar surface of the foot; a positive sign is indicated when the toes dorsiflex (curl upward) |
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| image made by sending ultrasound beams through the skull to assess blood flow in intracranial vessels; used in diagnosis and management of stroke and head trauma |
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| excision of part of the skull to approach the brain |
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| incision into the skull to approach the brain |
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| removal of a herniated disk; often done percutaneously (per = through; cutaneous = skin) |
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| excision of one or more laminae of the vertebrae to approach the spinal cord |
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| flattened posterior portion of the vertebral arch |
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| use of a microscope to dissect minute structures during surgery |
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| surgical repair of a nerve |
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| treatment of malignancies, infections, and other diseases with chemical agents to destroy selected cells or impair their ability to reproduce |
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| treatment of neoplastic disease using ionizing radiation to impede proliferation of malignant cells |
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| stereotactic (stereotaxic) radiosurgery |
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| radiation treatment to inactivate malignant lesions, using multiple, precise external radiation beams focused on a target with the aid of a stereotactic frame and imaging such as CT, MRI, or angiography; used to treat inoperable brain tumors and other lesions |
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| stereotactic (stereotaxic) frame |
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| mechanical device used to localize a point in space targeting a precise site |
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| Malignant tumor of the glial cells |
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| Glialblastoma Multiformae (GBM) |
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| Malignant tumor occurring in the medulla and commonly spreads into the CSF |
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| Malignant tumor of the oligodendrocytes |
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| Malignant tumor of the astrocytes |
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| The spreading of a primary tumor to the brain. Eg. Lung, breast, kidney |
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| Glialblastoma Multiformae = Aggressive glial tumor |
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| agent that prevents or lessens convulsions |
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| agent that counteracts depression |
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| agent that quiets nervousness |
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