Tremors Glossary of Terms

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Ablation: Removal or excision. Ablation is usually carried out surgically. For example, su...

Abnormal: Outside the expected norm, or uncharacteristic of a particular patient.

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

Addiction: An uncontrollable craving, seeking, and use of a substance such as alcohol or a...

Amelioration: Improvement in a patient's condition, or the activity of making an effort to...

Amitriptyline: An antidepressant medication. In some patients with depression, abnormal l...

Anticonvulsant: A medication used to control (prevent) seizures (convulsions) or stop an o...

Antidepressants: Anything, and especially a drug, used to prevent or treat depression.

Anxiety: A feeling of apprehension and fear, characterized by physical symptoms such as pa...

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

Arsenic: A metallic element that forms a number of poisonous compounds, arsenic is found i...

Asthma: A common lung disorder in which inflammation causes the bronchi to swell and narro...

Basal ganglia: A region of the base of the brain that consists of three clusters of neuron...

Benign: Not malignant. A benign tumor is one that does not invade surrounding tissue or sp...

Bilateral: Affecting both sides. For example, bilateral arthritis affects joints on both t...

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

Botulinum toxin: A toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum that is th...

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

Caffeine: A stimulant compound found naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa (chocolate), and kola...

Calcium: A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored. Calcium is ...

CBC: A commonly used abbreviation in medicine that stands for complete blood count, a set...

Cerebellar: Pertaining to the cerebellum, the part of the brain in the back of the head be...

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

Chin: Medically, the mentum. The lower portion of the face below the lower lip including t...

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

Cocaine: A substance derived from the leaves of the coca plant that is a bitter, addictive...

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

Contralateral: Of or pertaining to the other side. The opposite of iposilateral (the same ...

Cortisol: A metabolite of the primary stress hormone cortisone. Cortisol is an essential f...

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

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...

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

Distal: The more (or most) distant of two (or more) things. For example, the distal end of...

Dopamine: An important neurotransmitter (messenger) in the brain.

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

Endep: See: Amitriptyline.

Eskalith: See: Lithium.

Essential: In medicine, of unknown cause, as in essential hypertension (high blood pressur...

Essential tremor: Uncontrollable shaking (tremor) of the hands and arms and sometimes othe...

Excise: To cut out entirely. For example, a scalpel or laser beam may be used to excise a ...

Eyelid: The lid or cover of the eye, a movable fold of skin and muscle that can be closed ...

Familial: A condition that tends to occur more often in family members than is expected by...

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

Flutter: Flutter is a rapid vibration or pulsation. The difference between flutter and fib...

Gait: A manner of walking. Observation of gait can provide early diagnostic clues for a nu...

Gamma knife: A type of radiosurgery (radiation therapy) machine that acts by focusing low-...

Gene: The basic biological unit of heredity. A segment of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) need...

Genetic: Having to do with genes and genetic
information.

Horizontal: In anatomy, a plane passing through the standing body. A person lying on a bed...

Hormone: A chemical substance produced in the body that controls and regulates the activit...

Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the v...

Hyperparathyroidism: Too much parathyroid hormone resulting in abnormally high levels of ...

Hypocalcemia: Lower-than-normal level of calcium in the blood, which makes the nervous sys...

Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar (glucose). Hypoglycemia may be associated with symptoms such...

Hypomagnesemia: Low magnesium in the blood, which can occur due to inadequate intake or im...

Hyponatremia: Low sodium in the blood. Hyponatremia can be caused by many conditions and w...

Idiopathic: Of unknown cause. Any disease that is of uncertain or unknown origin may be te...

Impotence: A common problem among men characterized by the consistent inability to sustai...

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

Jaw: The movable junction of the bones below the mouth (the mandible) and the bone just ab...

Joint: The area where two bones are attached for the purpose of permitting body parts to m...

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

Limb: An arm or a leg.

Lips: Aside from the lips of the mouth, there are two pairs of lips at the entrance to the...

Lithium: A naturally occurring salt that, in purified form, is used to treat certain psych...

Lithobid: See: Lithium.

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

Liver disease: Liver disease refers to any disorder of the liver. The liver is a large org...

Magnesium: A mineral involved in many processes in the body including nerve signaling, the...

Medical school: A school with a curriculum leading to a medical degree. The mission of eve...

Metabolic: Relating to metabolism, the whole range of biochemical processes that occur wit...

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.

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...

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

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

Neuroleptic: A term that refers to the effects of antipsychotic drugs on a patient, especi...

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...

Neurosyphilis: Neurological complications in the third (tertiary) and final phase of syp...

Nicotine: An alkaloid (a nitrogen-containing chemical) made by the tobacco plant or produc...

Nitrogen: Element number 7, a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas that is biologically impo...

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

Nuclei: The plural of nucleus.

Nucleus: 1) In cell biology, the structure that houses the chromosomes. 2) In neuroanato...

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

Operation: In medicine, a surgical procedure. Many operations are named after persons. The...

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

Pallidotomy: A surgical operation performed on the globus pallidus to destroy it. The purp...

Palsy: Paralysis, generally partial, whereby a local body area is incapable of voluntary m...

Parathyroid hormone: See Parathormone.

Parkinson's disease: A slowly progressive neurologic disease that is characterized by a fi...

Parkinsonism: 1. Parkinson disease.
2. A syndrome similar to Parkinso...

Pathologic: 1. Indicative of or caused by disease, as in a pathologic fracture, pat...

Physiologic: Something that is normal, that is due neither to anything pathologic nor sign...

Postural: Pertaining to the posture or position of the body, the attitude or carriage of t...

Posture: The carriage of the body as a whole, the attitude of the body, or the position of...

Primary care: A patient's main source for regular medical care, ideally providing continui...

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

Progressive supranuclear palsy: A neurologic disorder of unknown origin that gradually des...

Psychiatrist: A physician who specializes in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of m...

Psychogenic: Caused by the mind or emotions.

Radiation: 1. Rays of energy. Gamma rays and X-rays are two of the types of energy ...

Refractory: Not yielding, or not yielding readily, to treatment.

Risk factor: Something that increases a person's chances of developing a disease. For exam...

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

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

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

Serum: The clear liquid that can be separated from clotted blood. Serum differs from plas...

Somatization: The normal, unconscious process by which psychological distress is expressed...

SPECT: An acronym that stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography, a nuclear me...

Spinocerebellar: Pertaining to the spinal cord and the cerebellum, as in spinocerebellar a...

Static posture: Any posture that is held for a long time. A static posture may result in f...

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

Subdural: Below the dura, the outermost, toughest, and most fibrous of the three membranes...

Surgery: The branch of medicine that employs operations in the treatment of disease or inj...

Syndrome: A combination of symptoms and signs that together represent a disease process.

Thyroid: 1. The thyroid gland. Also, pertaining to the thyroid gland. 2. A p...

Thyroid hormone: A chemical substance made by the thyroid gland for export into the bloods...

Thyroid hormones: Chemical substances made by the thyroid gland, which is located in the...

Tongue: A strong muscle that is anchored to the floor of the mouth. The tongue is covered ...

Toxin: A poison produced by certain animals, plants, or bacteria.

Tremor: An abnormal, repetitive shaking movement of the body. Tremors have many causes and...

Unilateral: Having, or relating to, one side. For example, a unilateral rash is one that i...

Urea: A nitrogen-containing substance normally cleared from the blood by the kidney into t...

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

Vascular: Relating to blood vessels. For example, the vascular system in the body includes...

Ventral: Pertaining to the front or anterior of any structure. The ventral surfaces of th...

Vertical: In anatomy, upright. As opposed to horizontal.

Wrist: The part of the hand that is nearest the forearm and consists of the carpal bones a...