Multiple Sclerosis Glossary of Terms

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Abdomen: The belly, that part of the body that contains all of the structures between the...

Acetate: A molecular ion derived from acetic acid. The formula of acetate is CH3COO-.

Amino acids: The building blocks of polypeptides and proteins.

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

Antibody: An immunoglobulin, a specialized immune protein, produced because of the introdu...

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

Autoimmune: Pertaining to autoimmunity, a misdirected immune response that occurs when the...

Autoimmune disease: An illness that occurs when the body tissues are attacked by its own i...

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

Bladder: A hollow organ in the lower abdomen that stores urine. The kidneys filter waste f...

Blood count: The calculated number of white or red blood cells (WBCs or RBCs) in a cubic m...

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

Cancer: An abnormal growth of cells which tend to proliferate in an uncontrolled way and, ...

Capsule: Capsule has many meanings in medicine including the following:

1. In medici...

Cardiac: Having to do with the heart.

Cell: The basic structural and functional unit of any living thing. Each cell is a small c...

Cerebellum: The portion of the brain that is in the back of the head, between the cerebrum...

Chemotherapy: 1. In the original sense, a chemical that binds to and specifically k...

Chest: The area of the body located between the neck and the abdomen. The chest contains t...

Complete blood count: A set values of the cellular (formed elements) of blood. These meas...

Constipation: Infrequent and frequently incomplete bowel movements. Constipation is the op...

Cough: A rapid expulsion of air from the lungs, typically in order to clear the lung airwa...

Curable: Amenable to a cure, capable of being cured, to being healed and made well. From ...

Cure: 1. To heal, to make well, to restore to good health. 2. A time withou...

Demyelination: A degenerative process that erodes away the myelin sheath that normally pr...

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

Diarrhea: A common condition that involves unusually frequent and liquid bowel movements. ...

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

Encephalopathy: Disease, damage, or malfunction of the brain. In general, encephalopathy i...

Enzymes: Proteins that act as a catalysts in mediating and speeding a specific chemical re...

FDA: Food and Drug Administration.

Fiber: The parts of fruits and vegetables that cannot be digested. Fiber is of vital impor...

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

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. ...

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...

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 ...

Interferon: A naturally occurring substance that interferes with the ability of viruses t...

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

Kidney: One of a pair of organs located in the right and left side of the abdomen. The kid...

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

Leukemia: Cancer of the blood cells. Strictly speaking, leukemia should refer only to canc...

Liver: The largest solid organ in the body, situated in the upper part of the abdomen on t...

Monoclonal: Derived from a single cell and cells identical to that cell.

Monoclonal antibody: An antibody produced by a single clone of cells. A monoclonal antibod...

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

MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging.

Multifocal: Having to do with two or more foci or arising from two or more places. For exa...

Multiple sclerosis: A disease that is characterized by loss of myelin (demyelinization). A...

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

Myelin: The fatty substance that covers and protects nerves. Myelin is a layered tissue th...

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

Neural: Having to do with nerve cells (neurons).

Neuritis: Inflammation of nerves. There are many causes of neuritis, including various vir...

Neurological: Having to do with the nerves or the nervous system as, for example, a neurol...

Neurology: The medical specialty concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of disorders o...

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

Optic: Having to do with vision.

Optic nerve: The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve carries the...

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

Physical therapy: A branch of rehabilitative health that uses specially designed exercises...

Placebo: A "sugar pill" or any dummy medication or treatment.

PML: Stands for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, a rapidly progressive, often f...

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

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

Progressive: Increasing in scope or severity, advancing, or going forward. For example, a ...

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

Relapse: The return of signs and symptoms of a disease after a remission.

Residual: Something left behind. With residual disease, the disease has not been eradicate...

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

Sclerosis: Localized hardening of skin. Sclerosis is generally caused by underlying diseas...

Sensation: In medicine and physiology, sensation refers to the registration of an incoming...

Sensory: Relating to sensation, to the perception of a stimulus, to the voyage made by inc...

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

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

Stress: In a medical or biological context stress is a physical, mental, or emotional fact...

Stroke: The sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood...

Substance: 1. Material with particular features.
2. The material that...

Symptom: Any subjective evidence of disease. In contrast, a sign is objective. Blood comin...

Taste: A perception that results from stimulation of a gustatory nerve. Taste belongs to t...

Therapeutics: In medicine, the branch that deals specifically with the treatment of diseas...

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

Tiredness: See: Tired.

Trait: In genetics, a trait refers to any genetically determined characteristic. In techni...

Urinary: Having to do with the function or anatomy of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, or ur...

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

Vertigo: Aside from being the name of a classic 1958 Alfred Hitchcock film (with Jimmy St...

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

Voluntary: Done in accordance with the conscious will of the individual. The opposite of i...

White blood cell: One of the cells the body makes to help fight infections. There are seve...