Brain Infection Glossary of Terms

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Abscess: A local accumulation of pus anywhere in the body. The following are some example...

Acquired: Not inherited, or present at birth (congenital), but developing after birth. For...

Acute: Of abrupt onset, in reference to a disease. Acute often also connotes an illness th...

Amputation: Removal of part or all of a body part that is enclosed by skin. Amputation can...

Analysis: In psychology, a term for conversation-based therapeutic processes used to gain ...

Antibiotic: A drug used to treat infections caused by bacteria and other microorganisms. ...

Antiviral: An agent that kills a virus or that suppresses its ability to replicate and, he...

Arms: An appendage in anatomy and in clinical trials. See: Arm.

Back pain: Pain felt in the low or upper back. Causes of pain in the low and upper back in...

Bacteria: Single-celled microorganisms that can exist either as independent (free-living) ...

Bacterial: Of or pertaining to bacteria, as in a bacterial lung infection.

Blindness: Loss of useful sight. Blindness can be temporary or permanent. Damage to any p...

Brain: The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It func...

Brain swelling: See: Cerebral edema.

Breathing: The process of respiration, during which air is inhaled into the lungs through ...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cardiac muscle: A type of muscle tissue that is found only in the heart and is distinguish...

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: The US agency charged with tracking and invest...

Cerebral: Of or pertaining to the cerebrum or the brain.

Cerebrospinal fluid: A watery fluid that is continuously produced and absorbed and that fl...

Chronic: In medicine, lasting a long time. A chronic condition is one that lasts 3 months ...

Coma: A state of deep, unarousable unconsciousness. A coma may occur as a result of head t...

Complication: In medicine, an unanticipated problem that arises following, and is a result...

Contrast: Short for "contrast media." Contrast media are X-ray dyes used to provide contra...

CT scan: Computerized tomography scan. Pictures of structures within the body created by a...

Cysticercosis: An infection caused by the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. Infection occurs w...

Deafness: Partial or complete hearing loss. Levels of hearing impairment vary from a mild ...

Delirium: A sudden state of severe confusion and rapid changes in brain function, sometime...

Dementia: Significant loss of intellectual abilities, such as memory capacity, that is sev...

Diabetes: Refers to diabetes mellitus or, less often, to diabetes insipidus. Diabetes mell...

Diagnosis: 1 The nature of a disease; the identification of an illness. 2 A ...

Digestive system: The system of organs responsible for getting food into and out of the bo...

Electrolyte: A substance that dissociates into ions in solution and acquires the capacity ...

Emergency department: The department of a hospital responsible for the provision of medica...

Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain, which may be caused by a bacterium, a virus, or a...

Escherichia coli: Full term for E. coli, the colon bacillus.

Extremity: An uttermost part of the body, such as a hand or a foot.

Feces: The excrement discharged from the 'intestines.

Fetus: An unborn offspring, from the embryo stage (the end of the eighth week after concep...

Fever: Although a fever technically is any body temperature above the normal of 98.6 degr...

Flexion: The process of bending, or the state of being bent. For example, flexion of the f...

Flu: Short for influenza. The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract w...

Fungal: Pertaining to a fungus. For example, a fungal skin infection.

Fungi: Plural of fungus.

Germ: 1. A cell or group of cells (called a primordium) capable of developing into ...

Headache: A pain in the head with the pain being above the eyes or the ears, behind the he...

Heart: The muscle that pumps blood received from veins into arteries throughout the body. ...

Herpes: A family of viruses. Herpes also refers to infection with one of the human herpesv...

HIB: Haemophilus influenzae type B.

HIV: Acronym for the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, the cause of AIDS (acquired immunodefi...

Human immunodeficiency virus: HIV, the cause of AIDS. HIV has also been called the human...

Immune: Protected against infection, usually by the presence of antibodies.

Immune system: A complex system that is responsible for distinguishing a person from every...

Immunity: The condition of being immune. Immunity can be innate'for example, humans are in...

Immunization: Vaccination. Immunizations work by stimulating the immune system, the natur...

Immunodeficiency: The inability to form a normal immune response. Immunodeficiency can be ...

Incidence: The frequency with which something, such as a disease or trait, appears in a pa...

Infant: A young baby, from birth to 12 months of age.

Infection: The invasion and multiplication of microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, an...

Inflammation: A localized reaction that produces redness, warmth, swelling, and pain as a ...

Influenza: The flu is caused by viruses that infect the respiratory tract which are divide...

Insertion: A chromosome abnormality that is due to insertion of a segment from one chromos...

Intracranial: Within the cranium, the bony dome that houses and protects the brain.

Involuntary: Done other than in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The ...

Knee: The knee is a joint which has three parts. The thigh bone (the femur) meets the lar...

Laboratory: A place for doing tests and research procedures, and for preparing chemicals a...

Learning disability: A childhood disorder characterized by difficulty with certain skill...

Libido: 1. Sexual drive. 2. In psychoanalysis, the psychic energy from all ...

Listeria: A group of bacteria capable of causing illness including potentially fata...

Lumbar: Referring to the five lumbar vertebrae, the disks below them, and the correspondin...

Lumbar puncture: A procedure in which cerebrospinal fluid is removed from the spinal canal...

Malaise: A vague feeling of discomfort, one that cannot be pinned down but is often sensed...

Measles: An acute and highly contagious viral disease characterized by fever, runny nose,...

Meninges: The three membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord (singular: meninx).

Meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges, the three membranes that envelop the brain and t...

Meningococcal meningitis: Inflammation of the meninges due to infection with the bacterium...

Mental retardation: The condition of having an IQ measured as below 70 to 75 and significa...

Motor: Something that produces or refers to motion. For example, a motor neuron is a nerve...

Mouth: 1. The upper opening of the digestive tract, beginning with the lips and con...

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Mumps: An acute (sudden, shortlived) viral illness that usually presents with inflammation...

Muscle: Muscle is the tissue of the body which primarily functions as a source of power. T...

Muscular: Having to do with the muscles. Also, endowed with above average muscle developme...

Myelitis: Inflammation of the spinal cord, such as from infection or immune inflammation.

Nausea: Stomach queasiness, the urge to vomit. Nausea can be brought on by many causes, in...

Neck: The part of the body joining the head to the shoulders. Also, any narrow or constric...

Neck pain: Neck pain is the sensation of discomfort in the neck area. Neck pain can result...

Neisseria: A group of bacteria that includes the bacterium that causes gonorrhea.

Nerve: A bundle of fibers that uses electrical and chemical signals to transmit sensory an...

Neurosurgeon: A physician who specializes in surgery on the brain and other parts of the n...

Nose: The external midline projection from the face. The purpose of the nose is to warm, c...

Onset: In medicine, the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness as, for ex...

Oxygen: The odorless gas that is present in the air and necessary to maintain life. Oxygen...

Pain: An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pa...

Panic: A sudden strong feeling of fear that prevents reasonable thought or action. The wor...

Paralysis: Loss of voluntary movement (motor function). Paralysis that affects only one mu...

Parasite: A plant or an animal organism that lives in or on another and takes its nourishm...

Parasitic: Having to do with a parasite, as in a parasitic infection; or acting like a par...

Pediatric: Pertaining to children.

Pharmacy: A location where prescription medications are sold. A pharmacy is constantly sup...

Pneumonia: Inflammation of one or both lungs, with dense areas of lung inflammation. Pneum...

Polio: Abbreviation for poliomyelitis, an acute and sometimes devastating disease caused ...

Poliomyelitis: An acute and sometimes devastating viral disease. Man is the only natural ...

Poliovirus: A member of the enterovirus subgroup, family Picornaviridae. Enteroviruses are...

Pork tapeworm: Taenia solium.

Pregnancy: The state of carrying a developing embryo or fetus within the female body. Thi...

Pregnant: The state of carrying a developing fetus within the body.

Prion: A small proteinaceous infectious disease-causing agent that is believed to be the s...

Prognosis: The forecast of the probable outcome or course of a disease; the patient's chan...

Psychiatric: Pertaining to or within the purview of psychiatry, the medical specialty conc...

Pupil: The opening of the iris. The pupil may appear to open (dilate) and close (constrict...

Rabies: A potentially fatal viral infection that attacks the central nervous system. Rabie...

Rash: Breaking out (eruption) of the skin. A rash can be caused by an underlying medical c...

Respiratory: Having to do with respiration.

Roundworm: A type of parasitic worm that hatches in the intestines and lives there. The eg...

Rule out: Term used in medicine, meaning to eliminate or exclude something from considera...

Saliva: a watery secretion in the mouth produced by the salivary glands that aids in the d...

Scan: As a noun, the data or image obtained from the examination of organs or regions of...

Seizure: Uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain, which may produce a physical conv...

Shock: In medicine, a critical condition that is brought on by a sudden drop in blood flow...

Sinus: 1. An air-filled cavity in a dense portion of a skull bone. The sinuses decr...

Spinal cord: The major column of nerve tissue that is connected to the brain and lies with...

Spinal tap: Also known as a lumbar puncture or "LP", a spinal tap is a procedure whereby ...

Spine: 1) The column of bone known as the vertebral column, which surrounds and protects ...

Stage: As regards cancer, the extent of a cancer, especially whether the disease has spre...

Streptococcus: A group of bacteria that causes a multitude of diseases. Under a microscope...

Tapeworm: A worm that is flat like a tape measure and functions as an intestinal parasite,...

Therapy: The treatment of disease. Therapy is synonymous with treatment.

Throat: The throat is the anterior (front) portion of the neck beginning at the back of th...

Toxoplasma gondii: A single-celled parasite that causes toxoplasmosis (toxo) .

Trauma: A physical or emotional injury.

Trichinella spiralis: The worm that causes trichinosis. Trichinella spiralis larvae can ...

Trichinosis: A disease that is due to eating raw or undercooked pork or wild game that is ...

Trimester: In obstetrics, one of the three divisions of three months each during pregnancy...

Urine: Liquid waste produced by the kidneys. Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that norm...

Vaccination: Injection of a killed microbe in order to stimulate the immune system against...

Vaccines: Microbial preparations of killed or modified microorganisms that can stimulate a...

Vein: A blood vessel that carries blood that is low in oxygen content from the body back t...

Vertebrae: The preferred plural of vertebra. (The alternate plural is vertebras.) See also...

Viral: Of or pertaining to a virus. For example, if a person has a viral rash, the rash wa...

Viral infection: Infection caused by the presence of a virus in the body. Depending on...

Virus: A microorganism that is smaller than a bacterium that cannot grow or reproduce apar...

Viruses: Small living particles that can infect cells and change how the cells function. I...

Vomit: Matter from the stomach that has come up into and may be ejected beyond the mouth, ...

World Health Organization: The subagency of the United Nations (UN) that is concerned with...

X-ray: High-energy radiation with waves shorter than those of visible light. X-ray is used...