Absence Seizures - is a form of epilepsy in which seizures are caused by abnormal neuronal discharge
in the brain — the "wires" of the brain's electrical circuitry get crossed and discharge abnormally.
Absence seizures are characterized by impairment of consciousness or posture, and usually last only a
few seconds. This type of seizure is more common in those under age 20.
ADHD and ADD - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a chronic neurobehavioral syndrome. ADHD
manifests as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The term attention-deficit disorder (ADD) refers to
the condition without hyperactivity.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gherig’s
disease, is a progressive, neuromuscular disease that weakens and eventually destroys motor neurons.
Autism – (also called autistic spectrum disorder) is a lifelong disorder that causes abnormal neurological
development. Autism causes impaired social interaction, communication difficulties, and restricted or
repetitive activities and interests. Patients ususally show signs by the age of 3.
Autonomic Neuropathy – is a group of symptoms caused by damage to nerves supplying the internal
body structures that regulate functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, bowel and bladder emptying,
and digestion.
B
Back Pain – is defined as pain in the upper, middle or lower back due to an unknown causes.
Balance problems - abnormal balance may be caused by problems with the inner ear, the nerves in the
feet, or certain conditions affecting the brain.
Basilar Migraine - Basilar Artery Migraine (BAM) is a subtype of "migraine with aura" in the new IHS
classification scheme. During a basilar migraine, a person may experience balance problems or
confusion along with the headache.
Bell’s Palsy - is a weakness or paralysis of the facial nerve, the nerve that controls muscle movement on
one side of the face. The condition causes drooping on the affected side, and individuals may not be
able to close the eye and may experience tearing, drooling and hypersensitive hearing. Although Bell's
palsy is unsettling and inconvenient, it is typically not indicative of a serious health problem and in most
cases completely resolves itself.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo - (BPPV) is an inner ear problem that results in short lasting, but
severe, room-spinning vertigo.
Brachial Plexopathy - Brachial plexopathy is decreased movement or sensation in the arm and shoulder,
caused by impaired function of the brachial plexus (a bundle of nerves that control sensation and
movement of the arm).
C
Carotid Artery disease - The carotid arteries run on each side of the neck and supply the brain with
blood. They may, over time, become narrowed, which can lead to mini-strokes (transient ischaemic
attacks) or a full blown stroke.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the
forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms include pain, numbness in
the fingers, or sometimes weakness in the hand.
Central Sleep Apnea - Central Sleep Apnea, which is less common than Obstructive Sleep Apnea,
occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate
respirations.
Cerebral Infarction - also known as a stroke, it occurs when part of the brain becomes damaged by
either a loss of blood flow or a hemorrhage into the brain.
Cerebral Palsy - a broad term used to represent a set of chronic disorders impairing movement control
that generally appear during the first several years of life.
Cervical Dystonia - is characterized by involuntary movements of the head as a result of muscle spasms
in the neck and shoulders. These spasms can cause the head to turn, jerk or pull to one side (rotational),
towards the shoulder (laterocollis), forward (anterocollis) or backward (retrocollis).
Cervical spine disease - the symptoms of cervical spine disease include pain, deformity, decrease in
motion, numbness, tingling and paralysis. These symptoms vary from patient to patient, but pain is the
most common and most reported symptom.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) - a neurological disorder that causes damage to the peripheral
nerves, which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles, and bring signals from the arms
and legs to the brain. CMT is an inherited form of neuropathy.
Chorea - Chorea is an irregular, rapid, uncontrolled, involuntary, excessive movement that seems to
move randomly from one part of the body to another. The affected child often appears fidgety or restless
and unable to sit still.
CIDP - Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a neurological disorder
characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms.
Circadian rhythm disorders - One fourth of all chronic sleep disorders are the result of a mismatch
between the body’s internal clock and the external 24-hour schedule. These sleep-timing problems are
called circadian rhythm sleep disorders because ‘circadian’ describes the body’s daily sleep/wake
hormone regulation (Circadian is Latin for ‘about a day’).
Cluster headache - is a rare form of headache that usually begins in adulthood. Patients experience
severe throbbing, claw-like, or boring pain usually on one side of the face; in, around, or behind the eye;
and occasionally reaching to the back of the neck. This pain may be accompanied by red and tearing
eyes, a drooping or swollen eyelid on the affected side of the face, and nasal congestion. Cluster
headache is an uncommon ailment affecting only about 0.1 - 0.3% of the population. It is often confused
with migraine disease whose sufferers total about 13%.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome - is pressure on the ulnar nerve behind the funny bone causing numbness and
tingling in the ring and small fingers of the hand.
D
Dementia - refers to a loss of cognitive function (cognition) due to changes in the brain caused by
disease or trauma. The changes may occur gradually or quickly; and how they occur may determine
whether dementia is reversible or irreversible.
Demyelinating Disorders - A medical condition where the myelin sheath is damaged. The myelin sheath
surrounds nerves and is responsible for the transmission of impulses to the brain. Symptoms may
include weakness, numbness, vision loss or balance problems. See also Multiple Sclerosis.
Developmental delay - is when a child does not reach their developmental milestones at the expected
times. It is an ongoing, major delay in the process of development. If a child is slightly or only temporarily
lagging behind, that is not called developmental delay.
Dermatomyositis - is one of a group of acquired muscle diseases called inflammatory myopathies. It
may cause weakness in the muscles of the arms and legs.
Diabetic Neuropathy - the presence of symptoms and/or signs of peripheral nerve dysfunction in people
with diabetes after exclusion of other causes. Diabetic neuropathy is classified into several syndromes,
each with a distinct pattern of involvement of the peripheral nerves; a patient often has multiple or
overlapping syndromes.
Diplopia - Double vision (diplopia) is one of the most troublesome visual disorders a patient can
experience. The ability to read, walk and perform common activities is suddenly disrupted. The
management of double vision may include prisms, therapy, eye muscle surgery and occlusion.
Disequilibrium - The most common reason for disequilibrium, dizziness or vertigo is probably related to
viral etiologies causing inflammation around the labyrinthene nerve, which is called neuronitis, or
involving the labyrinth itself, called labyrinthitis.
Dizziness - Dizziness may be experienced as lightheadedness, feeling like you might faint, being
unsteady, loss of balance, or vertigo (a feeling that you or the room is spinning or moving). Most causes
of dizziness are not serious and either quickly resolve on their own or are easily treated.
Double vision - see diplopia
Dystonia - is a neurologic movement disorder characterized by sustained muscle contractions, usually
producing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures or positions.
E
Encephalitis - generally means an inflammation of the brain, but it usually refers to brain inflammation
caused by a virus. Encephalitis may also be called acute viral encephalitis or aseptic encephalitis.
Epilepsy – is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system. Epilepsy is also known as a
seizure disorder. It is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures that were not
caused by some known medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar.
Essential Tremor – is a very common but complex neurologic movement disorder. It's called "essential"
because in the past, it had no known cause. It's not caused by another neurological condition or the side
effect of a medication. ET usually affects the hands, but it may also affect the head and neck (causing
shaking), face, jaw, tongue, voice (causing a shaking or quivering sound), the trunk and, rarely, the legs
and feet.
Eye movement problems - Vision plays a significant role in balance. Approximately twenty percent of the
nerve fibers from the eyes interact with the vestibular system. There are a variety of visual dysfunctions
that can cause, or associate with dizziness and balance problems. Sometimes these are purely visual
problems, and sometimes they are caused from other disorders such as stroke, head injury, vestibular
dysfunction, deconditioning, and decompensation.
F
Facet syndrome - is a diagnosis for mechanical low back pain (LBP). The signs of a classic facet
syndrome are: pain on lumbar hyperextension and decreased range of motion in any plane but
especially in extension and rotation, local facet tenderness, absence of neurologic deficit or root tension
signs; on lumbar flexion there may be relief, and straight-leg raising may or may not be normal.
Fasciculations - fasciculations represent spontaneous discharges from motor nerves and are not
pathologic in isolation. In fact, many people without muscle or nerve disease can experience
fasciculations induced by exercise, lack of sleep, or too much caffeine.
Febrile seizures - Convulsions brought on by a fever in infants or small children. During a febrile seizure,
a child often loses consciousness and shakes, moving limbs on both sides of the body. Less commonly,
the child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body, such as an arm or a leg, or on the
right or the left side only.
Femoral neuropathy - It occurs most often in people with type 2 diabetes. A pain may develop in the front
of one thigh. Muscle weakness follows, and the affected muscles waste away.
Foot pain - Pain or discomfort can be felt anywhere in the foot, including the heel, toes, arch, instep, sole,
or ankles. See also ankle pain and heel pain.
Friedreich’s ataxia - an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system
resulting in symptoms ranging from muscle weakness and speech problems to heart disease. It is
named after the physician Nicholas Friedreich, who first described the condition in the 1860s.
Frontotemporal dementia – is a degenerative condition of the front (anterior) part of the brain. The areas
of the brain affected by FTD—the frontal and anterior temporal lobes—control reasoning, personality,
movement, speech, social graces, language and some aspects of memory.
G
Generalized seizures - are disruptions of both sides of the brain at once, and as a result, usually include
an impairment or loss of consciousness.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome - is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves — those outside the brain
and spinal cord. It is characterized by the rapid onset of weakness and, often, paralysis of the legs, arms,
breathing muscles and face.
H
Headache - A headache happens when pain-sensitive nerve fibers (called nociceptors) are triggered in
the network of nerves that extends over the scalp, face, and along the surface and the base of the brain.
Hemifacial spasm - a neuromuscular disorder characterized by frequent involuntary contractions of the
muscles on one side of the face. The disorder occurs in both men and women, although it more
frequently affects middle-aged or elderly women. The first symptom is usually an intermittent twitching of
the eyelid muscle that can lead to forced closure of the eye.
Hereditary neuropathy – is an inherited disorder that affects peripheral nerves. These nerves connect the
brain and spinal cord to muscles as well as sensory cells that detect touch, pain, and temperature.
Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis - is one of the degenerative diseases of the nervous system. In general,
patients have a gradual development of spastic weakness of the legs with increasing difficulty in walking.
Huntington’s disease - a fatal hereditary disease that destroys neurons in areas of the brain involved in
the emotions, intellect, and movement. The course of Huntington’s is characterized by jerking
uncontrollable movement of the limbs, trunk, and face (chorea); progressive loss of mental abilities; and
the development of psychiatric problems.
I
Idiopathic Central Nervous System Hypersomnolence - is excessive sleepiness. People with
hypersomnolence, as opposed to fatigue, often fall asleep unintentionally.
Inclusion Body Myositis - (IBM) is an inflammatory muscle disease characterized by progressive muscle
weakness and wasting. The disorder is similar to another inflammatory myopathy called polymyositis.
IBM is often the diagnosis for cases of polymyositis that are unresponsive to therapy, but IBM has its own
distinctive features. The onset of muscle weakness in IBM is generally gradual (over months or years).
Infantile Spasms - (IS) is a specific type of seizure. It may also be seen in an epilepsy syndrome of
infancy and early childhood known as West Syndrome. The onset is predominantly in the first year of life,
typically between 3-6 months. The typical pattern of IS is a sudden bending forward and stiffening of the
body, arms, and legs; although there can also be arching of the torso.
Insomnia - Primary Insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems that are not directly
associated with any other health condition or problem. Secondary Insomnia means that a person is
having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition (like depression,
heartburn, cancer, asthma, arthritis), pain, medication they are taking, or a substance they are using (like
alcohol).
Intracerebral Hemorrhage - An intracerebral hemorrhage is bleeding in the brain caused by the rupture of
a blood vessel within the head.
Involuntary Movements - Movement disorders are neurological conditions that affect the speed, fluency,
quality, and ease of movement. Abnormal fluency or speed of movement (dyskinesia) may involve
excessive or involuntary movement (hyperkinesia) or slowed or absent voluntary movement
(hypokinesia).
J
K
L
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome - (LEMS) is a rare condition in which weakness results from an
abnormality of acetylcholine (ACh) release at the neuromuscular junction.
Language Delay - when a child’s language is developing in the right sequence, but at a slower rate.
Speech and language disorder describes abnormal language development.
Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy - onset of the disease occurs anywhere from the first to the third decade
of life. The initial muscles affected are the proximal muscles of the pelvic and shoulder girdles. The
progression of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy varies considerably, as does the degree of disability.
Lou Gehrig’s Disease - see amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Lumbar Spine Disease - The symptoms of lumbar spine disease include pain, deformity, decrease in
motion, numbness, tingling, and paralysis. These symptoms vary from patient to patient, but pain is the
most common and most reported symptom.
M
Macrocephaly - Increased head circumference is present when the measured distance around the
widest part of the skull is larger than expected for the age and background of the child.
Memory Loss - see dementia
Meniere’s Disease - also called idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops, is a disorder of the inner ear.
Although the cause is unknown, it probably results from an abnormality in the fluids of the inner ear.
Ménière’s disease is a cause of dizziness originating in the inner ear.
Meningitis - is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. It is
sometimes referred to as spinal meningitis. Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity of
illness and the treatment differ.
Meralgia Paresthetica – (MP) is a disorder characterized by tingling, numbness, and burning pain in the
outer side of the thigh. The disorder is caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve as
it exits the pelvis. It more commonly occurs in men than women, and is generally found in middle-aged or
overweight individuals.
Microcephaly - is a rare, neurological disorder in which the circumference of the head is smaller than the
average for the age and gender of the infant or child. Microcephaly may be congenital (present at birth)
or it may develop in the first few years of life. The disorder may stem from a wide variety of conditions
that cause abnormal growth of the brain, and is often a symptom of syndromes associated with
chromosomal abnormalities.
Migraine - Migraine is a form of headache that is severe and usually one sided, frequently associated
with nausea and vomiting. This is sometimes preceded by warning symptoms that usually affect the
eyesight and are known as an “aura”.
Mitochondrial Disorders - are a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to the
mitochondria, which are small, energy-producing structures found in every cell in the body that serve as
the cells' "power plants." Nerve cells in the brain and muscles require a great deal of energy, and thus
appear to be particularly damaged when mitochondrial dysfunction occurs.
Movement Disorders - include a variety of neurological conditions that cause the person to have
abnormal movements or difficulty with voluntary movement. There are two basic categories of movement
disorders: those exhibiting slow movement, or a lack of movement, and those with excessive movement.
The first category is called "hypokinetic,"; Parkinson's disease being a prime example. The second
category is called "hyperkinetic," such as tics, tremor or chorea (writhing movements).
Multiple Sclerosis – (MS) s a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects the central nervous
system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Doctors and researchers think the illness is
probably an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system attacks part of your body as if
it's a foreign substance. See also Demyelinating Disorders
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy - Multifocal motor neuropathy is a progressive muscle disorder
characterized by asymmetrical muscle weakness. Symptoms, which begin in the upper extremities
(arms and hands), may include muscle weakness, atrophy, and cramping. Fasciculations (involuntary
contractions or twitching of a group of muscles) may also occur.
Muscle Cramps - occurs when your muscle tightens and shortens causing a sudden severe pain. Muscle
cramps generally result from overexertion and dehydration. When you don't have enough fluid in your
system, it leads to an electrolyte imbalance that causes your muscles to cramp up.
Muscle Diseases - the primary symptom of persons with muscle diseases is weakness, which is usually
progressive, bilateral and often involving muscles close to the trunk, i.e. hip and shoulder muscles. The
person may notice difficulty in walking or running, climbing stairs, getting up from sitting, carrying heavy
loads, lifting or reaching above the shoulders. In infants and young children, this weakness may show up
as loss of tone, and delay in the ability to stand, walk or run.
Muscle jerking – or Myoclonus describes both a symptom and a disease. The disease myoclonus
("myo") muscle ("clonus") jerk, describes a brief, sudden, singular, shock-like muscle contraction that
refers to a condition characterized by myoclonus. Myoclonus arises from damage to the central nervous
system, which comprises the brain and spinal cord.
Muscle twitches - are fine movements of a small area of muscle that often affect the eyelids, calf, or
thumb. They are normal and quite common, often triggered by stress or anxiety.
Muscle weakness - A reduction in the strength of one or more muscles. The feeling of weakness may be
subjective (the person feels weak, but has no measurable loss of strength) or concrete (measurable loss
of strength). Weakness may be generalized (total body weakness) or localized to a specific area, side of
the body, limb, and so on.
Muscular Dystrophy - (MD) are a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and
degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. There are many forms of muscular
dystrophy, some noticeable at birth (congenital muscular dystrophy), others in adolescence (Becker
MD), but the 3 most common types are Duchenne, facioscapulohumeral, and myotonic.
Myasthenia Gravis – (MG) is the most common primary disorder of neuromuscular transmission. The
usual cause is an acquired immunological abnormality, but some cases result from genetic
abnormalities at the neuromuscular junction.
Myelopathy - a disease involving the spinal cord. Symptoms may include weakness, numbness or
bowel/bladder control problems.
Myopathies - diseases that affect muscles connected to bones (called skeletal muscles), such as the
biceps in the upper arm and the quadriceps in the thigh. Myopathies can be caused by inherited genetic
defects (e.g., muscular dystrophies), and endocrine, inflammatory (e.g., polymyositis), and metabolic
disorders.
Myotonic dystrophy - is an inherited disorder in which the muscles contract but have decreasing power to
relax. With this condition, the muscles also become weak and waste away. Myotonic dystrophy can
cause hair loss and cataracts.
N
Narcolepsy - is a type of sleep disorder. The disease is principally characterized by an overwhelming
feeling of sleepiness and fatigue.
Neck pain - is usually due to degenerative changes that occur in the neck, or strain in the muscles of the
neck.
Neuralgia - pain caused by nerve damage or compression.
Neurocutaneous Disorders - are conditions that involve both skin and brain producing some type of
"birthmark" or skin lesion and neurologic involvement so that seizures, developmental motor or cognitive
problems are present.
Neurofibromatosis - are genetic disorders of the nervous system that primarily affect the development
and growth of neural (nerve) cell tissues. These disorders cause tumors to grow on nerves and produce
other abnormalities such as skin changes and bone deformities. Although many affected persons inherit
the disorder, between 30 and 50 percent of new cases arise spontaneously through mutation (change) in
an individual's genes.
Neuropathy - a disease of the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms may include
numbness, weakness or pain.
Numbness - (or Paresthesias) are abnormal sensations, often described as numbness, prickling, or
tingling, usually felt along the extremities.
O
Obstructive Sleep Apnea - complete obstruction of the airway during sleeping. The site of obstruction in
most patients is the soft palate, extending to the region at the base of the tongue. There are no rigid
structures, such as cartilage or bone, in this area to hold the airway open.
Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy - is a neurodegenerative illness that causes certain brain areas to shrink.
This condition can be inherited but it most commonly affects people without a known family history
(sporadic form). Sporadic cases tend to affect people in their 50s while familial cases usually start
earlier.
Ophthalmoplegia - is a paralysis or weakness of one or more of the muscles that control eye movement.
Optic neuritis - (ON) is an inflammation, with accompanying demyelination, of the Optic Nerve (Cranial
Nerve II) serving the retina of the eye. It is a variable condition and can present with any of the following
symptoms: blurring of vision, loss of visual acuity, loss of some or all color vision, complete or partial
blindness and pain behind the eye.
P
Parkinsonism - A disorder similar to Parkinson's disease, but caused by the effects of a medication or
another disorder. Secondary Parkinsonism may be caused by disorders such as a stroke, encephalitis,
or meningitis; or medications.
Parkinson’s Disease - is a brain disorder that occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the
brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. Normally, these cells produce a vital chemical
known as dopamine. Dopamine allows smooth, coordinated function of the body's muscles and
movement. When approximately 80% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, the symptoms of
Parkinson disease appear. The key signs of Parkinson disease are tremor (shaking), slowness of
movement, rigidity (stiffness), and difficulty with balance.
Parkinson’s plus syndrome - is a term used to describe numerous disorders characterized by
parkinsonian features (rigidity, slow movements, tremor) plus other neurological signs such as
incoordination of gait, muscle wasting, or autonomic disturbances.
Paresthesias- is an abnormal touch sensations, such as burning or prickling, that occur without an
outside stimulus.
Paroxysmal hemicrania - Headaches similar to cluster headaches but the pain is shorter in duration
lasting typically 2-30 minutes. The headaches occur on average more than 5 times a day.
Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep (PLMS) - is a disorder characterized by periodic episodes of
repetitive and highly stereotyped limb movements that occur during sleep. PLMD is believed to be
related to restless legs syndrome.
Peroneal Neuropathy - a common cause of "footdrop", (weakness in the ankle).
Petit mal seizures – (also known as absence seizure) is a type of seizure that most often occurs in
children. An abnormal electrical discharge in the brain causes seizures. Other types of seizures include
grand mal seizure and temporal lobe seizure.
Pick’s disease - A disorder which produces deterioration in mental function caused by loss of brain
tissue in discrete areas (focal lesions). Pick's disease is marked by the presence of abnormalities in
brain cells (Pick's bodies) that can be found in the affected areas and elsewhere in the brain.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - (PSP) is a rare brain disorder that causes serious and permanent
problems with control of gait and balance. The most obvious sign of the disease is an inability to aim the
eyes properly, which occurs because of lesions in the area of the brain that coordinates eye movements.
Post-herpetic Neuralgia - is a painful condition affecting your nerve fibers and skin. It is a complication of
shingles, a second outbreak of the varicella-zoster virus, which initially causes chickenpox.
Polymyositis - is a disease of muscle featuring inflammation of the muscle fibers. The cause of the
disease is not known. It begins when white blood cells, the immune cells of inflammation, spontaneously
invade muscles. The muscles affected are mostly those closest to the trunk or torso.
Post-lumbar Puncture Headache – is a mild to severe headache that results from a lumbar puncture
procedure.
Pseudotumor Cerebri - (PTC) is encountered most frequently in young, overweight women between the
ages of 20 and 45. Headache is the most common presenting complaint, occurring in more than 90
percent of cases. Dizziness, nausea, and vomiting may also be encountered, but typically there are no
alterations of consciousness or higher cognitive function.
Q
R
Radiculopathy - is specifically describe as pain, and other symptoms like numbness, tingling, and
weakness in your arms or legs that are caused by a problem with your nerve roots. The nerve roots are
branches of the spinal cord that carry signals to the rest of the body at each level along the spine.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder - Patients with rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD) act out
dramatic and/or violent dreams during rapid eye movement (REM) stage sleep. Another feature of RBD
is shouting and grunting. RBD seems similar to other sleep disorders that involve motor activity, like
sleepwalking or periodic limb movement disorder.
Restless leg syndrome - is an overwhelming urge to move the legs usually caused by uncomfortable or
unpleasant sensations in the legs.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (also called Complex Regional Pain Disorder, or CRPD) - is a condition
of burning pain, stiffness, swelling, and discoloration of the hand.
S
Seizure Disorders - here are two kinds of seizure disorders: an isolated, nonrecurrent attack, such as
may occur during a febrile illness or after head trauma, and epilepsy—a recurrent, paroxysmal disorder
of cerebral function characterized by sudden, brief attacks of altered consciousness, motor activity,
sensory phenomena, or inappropriate behavior caused by excessive discharge of cerebral neurons.
Sciatica - Sciatica is the term given to pain down the leg, which is caused by irritation of the main nerve
into the leg, the sciatic nerve. This pain tends to be caused where the nerves pass through and emerge
from the lower bones of the spine (lumbar vertebrae).
Sleep Apnea - is a disorder that commonly afflicts more than 12 million people in the United States. It
takes its name from the Greek word apnea, which means "without breath." People with sleep apnea
literally stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, often for a minute or longer and as many as
hundreds of times during a single night.
Sleep Disorders – any number of disorders involving the inability for a restful nights sleep including
Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome, Narcolepsy, Insomnia, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Periodic
Limb Movements (PLMS), Parasomnias, and Jet Lag.
Sleep Talking - is the utterance of speech or sounds during sleep without awareness of the event.
Sleep Terrors – (also called night terrors) exist when a person, usually a child, awakens from a dream
crying or screaming, they may be experiencing sleep terror disorder. Usually the person is difficult to
wake-up and the episode may last several minutes. Once awakened, the individual is confused and finds
it difficult to relay the detail of his/her dream. Sleep terror usually only occurs once per night. Sometimes
the person experiencing a sleep terror will attempt to punch or swing his/her fists at others. Interference
may lengthen the episode.
Snoring – noisy sounds when sleeping occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through
the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. This area is the collapsible part of the airway (see
illustration) where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and uvula. Snoring occurs when these
structures strike each other and vibrate during breathing.
Spinal cord injury - (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or
feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accident, gunshot, falls, etc.) or disease (polio,
spina bifida, Friedreich's Ataxia, etc.). The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of
functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results
in loss of functioning.
Spinal Stenosis - A condition due to narrowing of the spinal cord causing nerve pinching which leads to
persistent pain in the buttocks, limping, lack of feeling in the lower extremities, and decreased physical
activity.
Stroke - see Cerebral Infarction
T
Tardive Dyskinesia - is a term used to describe a syndrome occurring as a result of treatment with
medications that block the receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is
involved in producing movement. If the receptors are blocked over a period of time, some individuals
may develop uncontrolled involuntary movements.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome – is a nerve compression syndrome characterized by a mechanical
impingement of one or more of the peripheral nerves about the foot and ankle.
Temporal Arteritis - also known as giant cell arteritis, is an inflammatory condition affecting the medium-
sized blood vessels that supply the head, eyes, and optic nerves. The disease usually affects those over
60 years of age and causes the vessels in the temple and scalp to become swollen and tender. Women
are approximately 4 times more likely to suffer from this disease then men.
Tics - are involuntary movements or vocalizations, of a repetitive nature. They are common in childhood -
about one in thirty children will exhibit some sort of tic at some time during childhood. They are usually of
fairly short duration over time (less than a year), and consist of excessive blinking, facial grimacing, or
vocalizations such as frequent coughing, sniffing, clearing the throat, and so forth. Tics may sometimes
be the root cause of frustrating searches for the source of a nagging little cough in a child.
Tonic-Clonic Seizures – generalized seizures involve the whole brain and the most common generalized
seizure is called a tonic-clonic seizure. When a TCS occurs, the person goes stiff (tonic), has jerking of
the extremities (clonic), falls to the ground and then they will remain still before slowly coming round.
Torticollis - see Cervical Dystonia
Tourette’s Syndrome - is an inherited, neurological disorder characterized by repeated and involuntary
body movements (tics) and uncontrollable vocal sounds going on for more than one year. In a minority of
cases, the vocalizations can include socially inappropriate words and phrases-called coprolalia. These
outbursts are neither intentional nor purposeful. Involuntary symptoms can include eye blinking, repeated
throat clearing or sniffing, arm thrusting, kicking movements, shoulder shrugging or jumping.
Transient Global Amnesia – is a passing episode of short-term memory loss without other signs or
symptoms of neurological impairment. In transient global amnesia (TGA) the individual does not lose
consciousness, but does lose the ability to form new lasting memories. Motor function is not affected.
The individual may be disoriented to place and time, may recognize that something is wrong, and may
become distressed at this realization.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) - A neurological event with the signs and symptoms of a stroke, but
which go away within a short period of time. Also called a mini-stroke, a TIA is due to a temporary lack of
adequate blood and oxygen (ischemia) to the brain. This is often caused by the narrowing (or, less often,
ulceration) of the carotid arteries (the major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain). TIAs
typically last 2 to 30 minutes and can produce problems with vision, dizziness, weakness or trouble
speaking.
Transverse Myelitis - is a demyelinating (loss of the fatty tissue around the nerves) disorder of the spinal
cord. It may occur alone or in combination with demyelination in other parts of the nervous system. Onset
of the disorder is sudden. Symptoms may include spinal cord dysfunction, muscle spasms, a general
feeling of discomfort, headache, loss of appetite, and numbness or tingling in the legs.
Traumatic Brain Injury - results from rapid acceleration and deceleration of the brain, including shearing
(tearing) of nerve fibers, contusion (bruising) of the brain tissue against the skull, brain stem injuries, and
edema (swelling).
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome - is neurovascular symptoms in the upper extremities due to pressure on the
nerves and vessels in the thoracic outlet area. The specific structures compressed are usually the nerves
of the branchial plexus and occasionally the subclavian artery or subclavian vein.
Tremors - a rhythmic, involuntary, oscillatory movement of a body part, is the most common movement
disorder. Tremors are classified as rest or action tremors. Rest tremor occurs when the affected body
part is completely supported against gravity. Action tremors are produced by voluntary muscle
contraction.
Trigeminal Neuralgia - is a disorder of the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve that causes episodes of intense,
stabbing, electric shock-like pain in the areas of the face where the branches of the nerve are distributed
to lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, upper jaw, and lower jaw.
Tuberous Sclerosis - is a rare genetic, neurological disorder primarily characterized by seizures, mental
retardation, and skin and eye lesions. In some cases, neurobehavioral problems may also occur.
Individuals with tuberous sclerosis may experience none or all of the symptoms with varying degrees of
severity.
U
Ulnar Neuropathy - is a condition caused by compression of the ulnar nerve, usually at the elbow. This is
the second most common nerve entrapment after carpal tunnel syndrome. The elbow is the most
vulnerable point of the ulnar nerve: here it is superficial, fixed and crosses a joint. The cause of most
cases is unknown. However, there may be a history of elbow fracture, dislocation, arthritis, or repeated
minor trauma.
V
Vertebral Basilar Insufficiency - Vertebral arteries flow through the vertebral or spinal column, and join
together to form the basilar artery at the brain stem. Together, they are the principle arteries providing
blood to the rear portions of the brain including the occipital lobe, cerebellum and brain stem. Vertebral-
basilar insufficiency (VBI) refers to a condition in which blood flow to these arteries is restricted or
'insufficient’.
Vertigo - Symptoms of vestibular impairment may include dizziness with a sense of movement,
imbalance and nausea.
W
Weakness - is a reduction in the strength of one or more muscles resulting from a variety of conditions
including metabolic, neurologic, primary muscular diseases, and toxic disorders.
Wilson’s disease - is an inherited disorder in which excessive amounts of copper accumulate in the
body. This rare disorder affects approximately one in 30,000 individuals. Symptoms may include
abnormal movements of the arms or legs.
X Y Z
in the brain — the "wires" of the brain's electrical circuitry get crossed and discharge abnormally.
Absence seizures are characterized by impairment of consciousness or posture, and usually last only a
few seconds. This type of seizure is more common in those under age 20.
ADHD and ADD - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is a chronic neurobehavioral syndrome. ADHD
manifests as inattention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity. The term attention-deficit disorder (ADD) refers to
the condition without hyperactivity.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also called Lou Gherig’s
disease, is a progressive, neuromuscular disease that weakens and eventually destroys motor neurons.
Autism – (also called autistic spectrum disorder) is a lifelong disorder that causes abnormal neurological
development. Autism causes impaired social interaction, communication difficulties, and restricted or
repetitive activities and interests. Patients ususally show signs by the age of 3.
Autonomic Neuropathy – is a group of symptoms caused by damage to nerves supplying the internal
body structures that regulate functions such as blood pressure, heart rate, bowel and bladder emptying,
and digestion.
B
Back Pain – is defined as pain in the upper, middle or lower back due to an unknown causes.
Balance problems - abnormal balance may be caused by problems with the inner ear, the nerves in the
feet, or certain conditions affecting the brain.
Basilar Migraine - Basilar Artery Migraine (BAM) is a subtype of "migraine with aura" in the new IHS
classification scheme. During a basilar migraine, a person may experience balance problems or
confusion along with the headache.
Bell’s Palsy - is a weakness or paralysis of the facial nerve, the nerve that controls muscle movement on
one side of the face. The condition causes drooping on the affected side, and individuals may not be
able to close the eye and may experience tearing, drooling and hypersensitive hearing. Although Bell's
palsy is unsettling and inconvenient, it is typically not indicative of a serious health problem and in most
cases completely resolves itself.
Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo - (BPPV) is an inner ear problem that results in short lasting, but
severe, room-spinning vertigo.
Brachial Plexopathy - Brachial plexopathy is decreased movement or sensation in the arm and shoulder,
caused by impaired function of the brachial plexus (a bundle of nerves that control sensation and
movement of the arm).
C
Carotid Artery disease - The carotid arteries run on each side of the neck and supply the brain with
blood. They may, over time, become narrowed, which can lead to mini-strokes (transient ischaemic
attacks) or a full blown stroke.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, which runs from the
forearm into the hand, becomes pressed or squeezed at the wrist. Symptoms include pain, numbness in
the fingers, or sometimes weakness in the hand.
Central Sleep Apnea - Central Sleep Apnea, which is less common than Obstructive Sleep Apnea,
occurs when the brain fails to send the appropriate signals to the breathing muscles to initiate
respirations.
Cerebral Infarction - also known as a stroke, it occurs when part of the brain becomes damaged by
either a loss of blood flow or a hemorrhage into the brain.
Cerebral Palsy - a broad term used to represent a set of chronic disorders impairing movement control
that generally appear during the first several years of life.
Cervical Dystonia - is characterized by involuntary movements of the head as a result of muscle spasms
in the neck and shoulders. These spasms can cause the head to turn, jerk or pull to one side (rotational),
towards the shoulder (laterocollis), forward (anterocollis) or backward (retrocollis).
Cervical spine disease - the symptoms of cervical spine disease include pain, deformity, decrease in
motion, numbness, tingling and paralysis. These symptoms vary from patient to patient, but pain is the
most common and most reported symptom.
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) - a neurological disorder that causes damage to the peripheral
nerves, which carry signals from the brain and spinal cord to muscles, and bring signals from the arms
and legs to the brain. CMT is an inherited form of neuropathy.
Chorea - Chorea is an irregular, rapid, uncontrolled, involuntary, excessive movement that seems to
move randomly from one part of the body to another. The affected child often appears fidgety or restless
and unable to sit still.
CIDP - Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a neurological disorder
characterized by progressive weakness and impaired sensory function in the legs and arms.
Circadian rhythm disorders - One fourth of all chronic sleep disorders are the result of a mismatch
between the body’s internal clock and the external 24-hour schedule. These sleep-timing problems are
called circadian rhythm sleep disorders because ‘circadian’ describes the body’s daily sleep/wake
hormone regulation (Circadian is Latin for ‘about a day’).
Cluster headache - is a rare form of headache that usually begins in adulthood. Patients experience
severe throbbing, claw-like, or boring pain usually on one side of the face; in, around, or behind the eye;
and occasionally reaching to the back of the neck. This pain may be accompanied by red and tearing
eyes, a drooping or swollen eyelid on the affected side of the face, and nasal congestion. Cluster
headache is an uncommon ailment affecting only about 0.1 - 0.3% of the population. It is often confused
with migraine disease whose sufferers total about 13%.
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome - is pressure on the ulnar nerve behind the funny bone causing numbness and
tingling in the ring and small fingers of the hand.
D
Dementia - refers to a loss of cognitive function (cognition) due to changes in the brain caused by
disease or trauma. The changes may occur gradually or quickly; and how they occur may determine
whether dementia is reversible or irreversible.
Demyelinating Disorders - A medical condition where the myelin sheath is damaged. The myelin sheath
surrounds nerves and is responsible for the transmission of impulses to the brain. Symptoms may
include weakness, numbness, vision loss or balance problems. See also Multiple Sclerosis.
Developmental delay - is when a child does not reach their developmental milestones at the expected
times. It is an ongoing, major delay in the process of development. If a child is slightly or only temporarily
lagging behind, that is not called developmental delay.
Dermatomyositis - is one of a group of acquired muscle diseases called inflammatory myopathies. It
may cause weakness in the muscles of the arms and legs.
Diabetic Neuropathy - the presence of symptoms and/or signs of peripheral nerve dysfunction in people
with diabetes after exclusion of other causes. Diabetic neuropathy is classified into several syndromes,
each with a distinct pattern of involvement of the peripheral nerves; a patient often has multiple or
overlapping syndromes.
Diplopia - Double vision (diplopia) is one of the most troublesome visual disorders a patient can
experience. The ability to read, walk and perform common activities is suddenly disrupted. The
management of double vision may include prisms, therapy, eye muscle surgery and occlusion.
Disequilibrium - The most common reason for disequilibrium, dizziness or vertigo is probably related to
viral etiologies causing inflammation around the labyrinthene nerve, which is called neuronitis, or
involving the labyrinth itself, called labyrinthitis.
Dizziness - Dizziness may be experienced as lightheadedness, feeling like you might faint, being
unsteady, loss of balance, or vertigo (a feeling that you or the room is spinning or moving). Most causes
of dizziness are not serious and either quickly resolve on their own or are easily treated.
Double vision - see diplopia
Dystonia - is a neurologic movement disorder characterized by sustained muscle contractions, usually
producing twisting and repetitive movements or abnormal postures or positions.
E
Encephalitis - generally means an inflammation of the brain, but it usually refers to brain inflammation
caused by a virus. Encephalitis may also be called acute viral encephalitis or aseptic encephalitis.
Epilepsy – is a neurological condition, which affects the nervous system. Epilepsy is also known as a
seizure disorder. It is usually diagnosed after a person has had at least two seizures that were not
caused by some known medical condition like alcohol withdrawal or extremely low blood sugar.
Essential Tremor – is a very common but complex neurologic movement disorder. It's called "essential"
because in the past, it had no known cause. It's not caused by another neurological condition or the side
effect of a medication. ET usually affects the hands, but it may also affect the head and neck (causing
shaking), face, jaw, tongue, voice (causing a shaking or quivering sound), the trunk and, rarely, the legs
and feet.
Eye movement problems - Vision plays a significant role in balance. Approximately twenty percent of the
nerve fibers from the eyes interact with the vestibular system. There are a variety of visual dysfunctions
that can cause, or associate with dizziness and balance problems. Sometimes these are purely visual
problems, and sometimes they are caused from other disorders such as stroke, head injury, vestibular
dysfunction, deconditioning, and decompensation.
F
Facet syndrome - is a diagnosis for mechanical low back pain (LBP). The signs of a classic facet
syndrome are: pain on lumbar hyperextension and decreased range of motion in any plane but
especially in extension and rotation, local facet tenderness, absence of neurologic deficit or root tension
signs; on lumbar flexion there may be relief, and straight-leg raising may or may not be normal.
Fasciculations - fasciculations represent spontaneous discharges from motor nerves and are not
pathologic in isolation. In fact, many people without muscle or nerve disease can experience
fasciculations induced by exercise, lack of sleep, or too much caffeine.
Febrile seizures - Convulsions brought on by a fever in infants or small children. During a febrile seizure,
a child often loses consciousness and shakes, moving limbs on both sides of the body. Less commonly,
the child becomes rigid or has twitches in only a portion of the body, such as an arm or a leg, or on the
right or the left side only.
Femoral neuropathy - It occurs most often in people with type 2 diabetes. A pain may develop in the front
of one thigh. Muscle weakness follows, and the affected muscles waste away.
Foot pain - Pain or discomfort can be felt anywhere in the foot, including the heel, toes, arch, instep, sole,
or ankles. See also ankle pain and heel pain.
Friedreich’s ataxia - an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system
resulting in symptoms ranging from muscle weakness and speech problems to heart disease. It is
named after the physician Nicholas Friedreich, who first described the condition in the 1860s.
Frontotemporal dementia – is a degenerative condition of the front (anterior) part of the brain. The areas
of the brain affected by FTD—the frontal and anterior temporal lobes—control reasoning, personality,
movement, speech, social graces, language and some aspects of memory.
G
Generalized seizures - are disruptions of both sides of the brain at once, and as a result, usually include
an impairment or loss of consciousness.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome - is an inflammatory disorder of the peripheral nerves — those outside the brain
and spinal cord. It is characterized by the rapid onset of weakness and, often, paralysis of the legs, arms,
breathing muscles and face.
H
Headache - A headache happens when pain-sensitive nerve fibers (called nociceptors) are triggered in
the network of nerves that extends over the scalp, face, and along the surface and the base of the brain.
Hemifacial spasm - a neuromuscular disorder characterized by frequent involuntary contractions of the
muscles on one side of the face. The disorder occurs in both men and women, although it more
frequently affects middle-aged or elderly women. The first symptom is usually an intermittent twitching of
the eyelid muscle that can lead to forced closure of the eye.
Hereditary neuropathy – is an inherited disorder that affects peripheral nerves. These nerves connect the
brain and spinal cord to muscles as well as sensory cells that detect touch, pain, and temperature.
Hereditary Spastic Paraparesis - is one of the degenerative diseases of the nervous system. In general,
patients have a gradual development of spastic weakness of the legs with increasing difficulty in walking.
Huntington’s disease - a fatal hereditary disease that destroys neurons in areas of the brain involved in
the emotions, intellect, and movement. The course of Huntington’s is characterized by jerking
uncontrollable movement of the limbs, trunk, and face (chorea); progressive loss of mental abilities; and
the development of psychiatric problems.
I
Idiopathic Central Nervous System Hypersomnolence - is excessive sleepiness. People with
hypersomnolence, as opposed to fatigue, often fall asleep unintentionally.
Inclusion Body Myositis - (IBM) is an inflammatory muscle disease characterized by progressive muscle
weakness and wasting. The disorder is similar to another inflammatory myopathy called polymyositis.
IBM is often the diagnosis for cases of polymyositis that are unresponsive to therapy, but IBM has its own
distinctive features. The onset of muscle weakness in IBM is generally gradual (over months or years).
Infantile Spasms - (IS) is a specific type of seizure. It may also be seen in an epilepsy syndrome of
infancy and early childhood known as West Syndrome. The onset is predominantly in the first year of life,
typically between 3-6 months. The typical pattern of IS is a sudden bending forward and stiffening of the
body, arms, and legs; although there can also be arching of the torso.
Insomnia - Primary Insomnia means that a person is having sleep problems that are not directly
associated with any other health condition or problem. Secondary Insomnia means that a person is
having sleep problems because of something else, such as a health condition (like depression,
heartburn, cancer, asthma, arthritis), pain, medication they are taking, or a substance they are using (like
alcohol).
Intracerebral Hemorrhage - An intracerebral hemorrhage is bleeding in the brain caused by the rupture of
a blood vessel within the head.
Involuntary Movements - Movement disorders are neurological conditions that affect the speed, fluency,
quality, and ease of movement. Abnormal fluency or speed of movement (dyskinesia) may involve
excessive or involuntary movement (hyperkinesia) or slowed or absent voluntary movement
(hypokinesia).
J
K
L
Lambert-Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome - (LEMS) is a rare condition in which weakness results from an
abnormality of acetylcholine (ACh) release at the neuromuscular junction.
Language Delay - when a child’s language is developing in the right sequence, but at a slower rate.
Speech and language disorder describes abnormal language development.
Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy - onset of the disease occurs anywhere from the first to the third decade
of life. The initial muscles affected are the proximal muscles of the pelvic and shoulder girdles. The
progression of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy varies considerably, as does the degree of disability.
Lou Gehrig’s Disease - see amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Lumbar Spine Disease - The symptoms of lumbar spine disease include pain, deformity, decrease in
motion, numbness, tingling, and paralysis. These symptoms vary from patient to patient, but pain is the
most common and most reported symptom.
M
Macrocephaly - Increased head circumference is present when the measured distance around the
widest part of the skull is larger than expected for the age and background of the child.
Memory Loss - see dementia
Meniere’s Disease - also called idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops, is a disorder of the inner ear.
Although the cause is unknown, it probably results from an abnormality in the fluids of the inner ear.
Ménière’s disease is a cause of dizziness originating in the inner ear.
Meningitis - is an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. It is
sometimes referred to as spinal meningitis. Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or bacterium is important because the severity of
illness and the treatment differ.
Meralgia Paresthetica – (MP) is a disorder characterized by tingling, numbness, and burning pain in the
outer side of the thigh. The disorder is caused by compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve as
it exits the pelvis. It more commonly occurs in men than women, and is generally found in middle-aged or
overweight individuals.
Microcephaly - is a rare, neurological disorder in which the circumference of the head is smaller than the
average for the age and gender of the infant or child. Microcephaly may be congenital (present at birth)
or it may develop in the first few years of life. The disorder may stem from a wide variety of conditions
that cause abnormal growth of the brain, and is often a symptom of syndromes associated with
chromosomal abnormalities.
Migraine - Migraine is a form of headache that is severe and usually one sided, frequently associated
with nausea and vomiting. This is sometimes preceded by warning symptoms that usually affect the
eyesight and are known as an “aura”.
Mitochondrial Disorders - are a group of neuromuscular diseases caused by damage to the
mitochondria, which are small, energy-producing structures found in every cell in the body that serve as
the cells' "power plants." Nerve cells in the brain and muscles require a great deal of energy, and thus
appear to be particularly damaged when mitochondrial dysfunction occurs.
Movement Disorders - include a variety of neurological conditions that cause the person to have
abnormal movements or difficulty with voluntary movement. There are two basic categories of movement
disorders: those exhibiting slow movement, or a lack of movement, and those with excessive movement.
The first category is called "hypokinetic,"; Parkinson's disease being a prime example. The second
category is called "hyperkinetic," such as tics, tremor or chorea (writhing movements).
Multiple Sclerosis – (MS) s a chronic, potentially debilitating disease that affects the central nervous
system, which is made up of the brain and spinal cord. Doctors and researchers think the illness is
probably an autoimmune disease, which means that your immune system attacks part of your body as if
it's a foreign substance. See also Demyelinating Disorders
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy - Multifocal motor neuropathy is a progressive muscle disorder
characterized by asymmetrical muscle weakness. Symptoms, which begin in the upper extremities
(arms and hands), may include muscle weakness, atrophy, and cramping. Fasciculations (involuntary
contractions or twitching of a group of muscles) may also occur.
Muscle Cramps - occurs when your muscle tightens and shortens causing a sudden severe pain. Muscle
cramps generally result from overexertion and dehydration. When you don't have enough fluid in your
system, it leads to an electrolyte imbalance that causes your muscles to cramp up.
Muscle Diseases - the primary symptom of persons with muscle diseases is weakness, which is usually
progressive, bilateral and often involving muscles close to the trunk, i.e. hip and shoulder muscles. The
person may notice difficulty in walking or running, climbing stairs, getting up from sitting, carrying heavy
loads, lifting or reaching above the shoulders. In infants and young children, this weakness may show up
as loss of tone, and delay in the ability to stand, walk or run.
Muscle jerking – or Myoclonus describes both a symptom and a disease. The disease myoclonus
("myo") muscle ("clonus") jerk, describes a brief, sudden, singular, shock-like muscle contraction that
refers to a condition characterized by myoclonus. Myoclonus arises from damage to the central nervous
system, which comprises the brain and spinal cord.
Muscle twitches - are fine movements of a small area of muscle that often affect the eyelids, calf, or
thumb. They are normal and quite common, often triggered by stress or anxiety.
Muscle weakness - A reduction in the strength of one or more muscles. The feeling of weakness may be
subjective (the person feels weak, but has no measurable loss of strength) or concrete (measurable loss
of strength). Weakness may be generalized (total body weakness) or localized to a specific area, side of
the body, limb, and so on.
Muscular Dystrophy - (MD) are a group of genetic diseases characterized by progressive weakness and
degeneration of the skeletal muscles that control movement. There are many forms of muscular
dystrophy, some noticeable at birth (congenital muscular dystrophy), others in adolescence (Becker
MD), but the 3 most common types are Duchenne, facioscapulohumeral, and myotonic.
Myasthenia Gravis – (MG) is the most common primary disorder of neuromuscular transmission. The
usual cause is an acquired immunological abnormality, but some cases result from genetic
abnormalities at the neuromuscular junction.
Myelopathy - a disease involving the spinal cord. Symptoms may include weakness, numbness or
bowel/bladder control problems.
Myopathies - diseases that affect muscles connected to bones (called skeletal muscles), such as the
biceps in the upper arm and the quadriceps in the thigh. Myopathies can be caused by inherited genetic
defects (e.g., muscular dystrophies), and endocrine, inflammatory (e.g., polymyositis), and metabolic
disorders.
Myotonic dystrophy - is an inherited disorder in which the muscles contract but have decreasing power to
relax. With this condition, the muscles also become weak and waste away. Myotonic dystrophy can
cause hair loss and cataracts.
N
Narcolepsy - is a type of sleep disorder. The disease is principally characterized by an overwhelming
feeling of sleepiness and fatigue.
Neck pain - is usually due to degenerative changes that occur in the neck, or strain in the muscles of the
neck.
Neuralgia - pain caused by nerve damage or compression.
Neurocutaneous Disorders - are conditions that involve both skin and brain producing some type of
"birthmark" or skin lesion and neurologic involvement so that seizures, developmental motor or cognitive
problems are present.
Neurofibromatosis - are genetic disorders of the nervous system that primarily affect the development
and growth of neural (nerve) cell tissues. These disorders cause tumors to grow on nerves and produce
other abnormalities such as skin changes and bone deformities. Although many affected persons inherit
the disorder, between 30 and 50 percent of new cases arise spontaneously through mutation (change) in
an individual's genes.
Neuropathy - a disease of the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms may include
numbness, weakness or pain.
Numbness - (or Paresthesias) are abnormal sensations, often described as numbness, prickling, or
tingling, usually felt along the extremities.
O
Obstructive Sleep Apnea - complete obstruction of the airway during sleeping. The site of obstruction in
most patients is the soft palate, extending to the region at the base of the tongue. There are no rigid
structures, such as cartilage or bone, in this area to hold the airway open.
Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy - is a neurodegenerative illness that causes certain brain areas to shrink.
This condition can be inherited but it most commonly affects people without a known family history
(sporadic form). Sporadic cases tend to affect people in their 50s while familial cases usually start
earlier.
Ophthalmoplegia - is a paralysis or weakness of one or more of the muscles that control eye movement.
Optic neuritis - (ON) is an inflammation, with accompanying demyelination, of the Optic Nerve (Cranial
Nerve II) serving the retina of the eye. It is a variable condition and can present with any of the following
symptoms: blurring of vision, loss of visual acuity, loss of some or all color vision, complete or partial
blindness and pain behind the eye.
P
Parkinsonism - A disorder similar to Parkinson's disease, but caused by the effects of a medication or
another disorder. Secondary Parkinsonism may be caused by disorders such as a stroke, encephalitis,
or meningitis; or medications.
Parkinson’s Disease - is a brain disorder that occurs when certain nerve cells (neurons) in a part of the
brain called the substantia nigra die or become impaired. Normally, these cells produce a vital chemical
known as dopamine. Dopamine allows smooth, coordinated function of the body's muscles and
movement. When approximately 80% of the dopamine-producing cells are damaged, the symptoms of
Parkinson disease appear. The key signs of Parkinson disease are tremor (shaking), slowness of
movement, rigidity (stiffness), and difficulty with balance.
Parkinson’s plus syndrome - is a term used to describe numerous disorders characterized by
parkinsonian features (rigidity, slow movements, tremor) plus other neurological signs such as
incoordination of gait, muscle wasting, or autonomic disturbances.
Paresthesias- is an abnormal touch sensations, such as burning or prickling, that occur without an
outside stimulus.
Paroxysmal hemicrania - Headaches similar to cluster headaches but the pain is shorter in duration
lasting typically 2-30 minutes. The headaches occur on average more than 5 times a day.
Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep (PLMS) - is a disorder characterized by periodic episodes of
repetitive and highly stereotyped limb movements that occur during sleep. PLMD is believed to be
related to restless legs syndrome.
Peroneal Neuropathy - a common cause of "footdrop", (weakness in the ankle).
Petit mal seizures – (also known as absence seizure) is a type of seizure that most often occurs in
children. An abnormal electrical discharge in the brain causes seizures. Other types of seizures include
grand mal seizure and temporal lobe seizure.
Pick’s disease - A disorder which produces deterioration in mental function caused by loss of brain
tissue in discrete areas (focal lesions). Pick's disease is marked by the presence of abnormalities in
brain cells (Pick's bodies) that can be found in the affected areas and elsewhere in the brain.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - (PSP) is a rare brain disorder that causes serious and permanent
problems with control of gait and balance. The most obvious sign of the disease is an inability to aim the
eyes properly, which occurs because of lesions in the area of the brain that coordinates eye movements.
Post-herpetic Neuralgia - is a painful condition affecting your nerve fibers and skin. It is a complication of
shingles, a second outbreak of the varicella-zoster virus, which initially causes chickenpox.
Polymyositis - is a disease of muscle featuring inflammation of the muscle fibers. The cause of the
disease is not known. It begins when white blood cells, the immune cells of inflammation, spontaneously
invade muscles. The muscles affected are mostly those closest to the trunk or torso.
Post-lumbar Puncture Headache – is a mild to severe headache that results from a lumbar puncture
procedure.
Pseudotumor Cerebri - (PTC) is encountered most frequently in young, overweight women between the
ages of 20 and 45. Headache is the most common presenting complaint, occurring in more than 90
percent of cases. Dizziness, nausea, and vomiting may also be encountered, but typically there are no
alterations of consciousness or higher cognitive function.
Q
R
Radiculopathy - is specifically describe as pain, and other symptoms like numbness, tingling, and
weakness in your arms or legs that are caused by a problem with your nerve roots. The nerve roots are
branches of the spinal cord that carry signals to the rest of the body at each level along the spine.
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder - Patients with rapid eye movement behavior disorder (RBD) act out
dramatic and/or violent dreams during rapid eye movement (REM) stage sleep. Another feature of RBD
is shouting and grunting. RBD seems similar to other sleep disorders that involve motor activity, like
sleepwalking or periodic limb movement disorder.
Restless leg syndrome - is an overwhelming urge to move the legs usually caused by uncomfortable or
unpleasant sensations in the legs.
Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (also called Complex Regional Pain Disorder, or CRPD) - is a condition
of burning pain, stiffness, swelling, and discoloration of the hand.
S
Seizure Disorders - here are two kinds of seizure disorders: an isolated, nonrecurrent attack, such as
may occur during a febrile illness or after head trauma, and epilepsy—a recurrent, paroxysmal disorder
of cerebral function characterized by sudden, brief attacks of altered consciousness, motor activity,
sensory phenomena, or inappropriate behavior caused by excessive discharge of cerebral neurons.
Sciatica - Sciatica is the term given to pain down the leg, which is caused by irritation of the main nerve
into the leg, the sciatic nerve. This pain tends to be caused where the nerves pass through and emerge
from the lower bones of the spine (lumbar vertebrae).
Sleep Apnea - is a disorder that commonly afflicts more than 12 million people in the United States. It
takes its name from the Greek word apnea, which means "without breath." People with sleep apnea
literally stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, often for a minute or longer and as many as
hundreds of times during a single night.
Sleep Disorders – any number of disorders involving the inability for a restful nights sleep including
Sleep Apnea, Restless Leg Syndrome, Narcolepsy, Insomnia, Excessive Daytime Sleepiness, Periodic
Limb Movements (PLMS), Parasomnias, and Jet Lag.
Sleep Talking - is the utterance of speech or sounds during sleep without awareness of the event.
Sleep Terrors – (also called night terrors) exist when a person, usually a child, awakens from a dream
crying or screaming, they may be experiencing sleep terror disorder. Usually the person is difficult to
wake-up and the episode may last several minutes. Once awakened, the individual is confused and finds
it difficult to relay the detail of his/her dream. Sleep terror usually only occurs once per night. Sometimes
the person experiencing a sleep terror will attempt to punch or swing his/her fists at others. Interference
may lengthen the episode.
Snoring – noisy sounds when sleeping occur when there is an obstruction to the free flow of air through
the passages at the back of the mouth and nose. This area is the collapsible part of the airway (see
illustration) where the tongue and upper throat meet the soft palate and uvula. Snoring occurs when these
structures strike each other and vibrate during breathing.
Spinal cord injury - (SCI) is damage to the spinal cord that results in a loss of function such as mobility or
feeling. Frequent causes of damage are trauma (car accident, gunshot, falls, etc.) or disease (polio,
spina bifida, Friedreich's Ataxia, etc.). The spinal cord does not have to be severed in order for a loss of
functioning to occur. In fact, in most people with SCI, the spinal cord is intact, but the damage to it results
in loss of functioning.
Spinal Stenosis - A condition due to narrowing of the spinal cord causing nerve pinching which leads to
persistent pain in the buttocks, limping, lack of feeling in the lower extremities, and decreased physical
activity.
Stroke - see Cerebral Infarction
T
Tardive Dyskinesia - is a term used to describe a syndrome occurring as a result of treatment with
medications that block the receptors for the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is
involved in producing movement. If the receptors are blocked over a period of time, some individuals
may develop uncontrolled involuntary movements.
Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome – is a nerve compression syndrome characterized by a mechanical
impingement of one or more of the peripheral nerves about the foot and ankle.
Temporal Arteritis - also known as giant cell arteritis, is an inflammatory condition affecting the medium-
sized blood vessels that supply the head, eyes, and optic nerves. The disease usually affects those over
60 years of age and causes the vessels in the temple and scalp to become swollen and tender. Women
are approximately 4 times more likely to suffer from this disease then men.
Tics - are involuntary movements or vocalizations, of a repetitive nature. They are common in childhood -
about one in thirty children will exhibit some sort of tic at some time during childhood. They are usually of
fairly short duration over time (less than a year), and consist of excessive blinking, facial grimacing, or
vocalizations such as frequent coughing, sniffing, clearing the throat, and so forth. Tics may sometimes
be the root cause of frustrating searches for the source of a nagging little cough in a child.
Tonic-Clonic Seizures – generalized seizures involve the whole brain and the most common generalized
seizure is called a tonic-clonic seizure. When a TCS occurs, the person goes stiff (tonic), has jerking of
the extremities (clonic), falls to the ground and then they will remain still before slowly coming round.
Torticollis - see Cervical Dystonia
Tourette’s Syndrome - is an inherited, neurological disorder characterized by repeated and involuntary
body movements (tics) and uncontrollable vocal sounds going on for more than one year. In a minority of
cases, the vocalizations can include socially inappropriate words and phrases-called coprolalia. These
outbursts are neither intentional nor purposeful. Involuntary symptoms can include eye blinking, repeated
throat clearing or sniffing, arm thrusting, kicking movements, shoulder shrugging or jumping.
Transient Global Amnesia – is a passing episode of short-term memory loss without other signs or
symptoms of neurological impairment. In transient global amnesia (TGA) the individual does not lose
consciousness, but does lose the ability to form new lasting memories. Motor function is not affected.
The individual may be disoriented to place and time, may recognize that something is wrong, and may
become distressed at this realization.
Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) - A neurological event with the signs and symptoms of a stroke, but
which go away within a short period of time. Also called a mini-stroke, a TIA is due to a temporary lack of
adequate blood and oxygen (ischemia) to the brain. This is often caused by the narrowing (or, less often,
ulceration) of the carotid arteries (the major arteries in the neck that supply blood to the brain). TIAs
typically last 2 to 30 minutes and can produce problems with vision, dizziness, weakness or trouble
speaking.
Transverse Myelitis - is a demyelinating (loss of the fatty tissue around the nerves) disorder of the spinal
cord. It may occur alone or in combination with demyelination in other parts of the nervous system. Onset
of the disorder is sudden. Symptoms may include spinal cord dysfunction, muscle spasms, a general
feeling of discomfort, headache, loss of appetite, and numbness or tingling in the legs.
Traumatic Brain Injury - results from rapid acceleration and deceleration of the brain, including shearing
(tearing) of nerve fibers, contusion (bruising) of the brain tissue against the skull, brain stem injuries, and
edema (swelling).
Thoracic Outlet Syndrome - is neurovascular symptoms in the upper extremities due to pressure on the
nerves and vessels in the thoracic outlet area. The specific structures compressed are usually the nerves
of the branchial plexus and occasionally the subclavian artery or subclavian vein.
Tremors - a rhythmic, involuntary, oscillatory movement of a body part, is the most common movement
disorder. Tremors are classified as rest or action tremors. Rest tremor occurs when the affected body
part is completely supported against gravity. Action tremors are produced by voluntary muscle
contraction.
Trigeminal Neuralgia - is a disorder of the fifth cranial (trigeminal) nerve that causes episodes of intense,
stabbing, electric shock-like pain in the areas of the face where the branches of the nerve are distributed
to lips, eyes, nose, scalp, forehead, upper jaw, and lower jaw.
Tuberous Sclerosis - is a rare genetic, neurological disorder primarily characterized by seizures, mental
retardation, and skin and eye lesions. In some cases, neurobehavioral problems may also occur.
Individuals with tuberous sclerosis may experience none or all of the symptoms with varying degrees of
severity.
U
Ulnar Neuropathy - is a condition caused by compression of the ulnar nerve, usually at the elbow. This is
the second most common nerve entrapment after carpal tunnel syndrome. The elbow is the most
vulnerable point of the ulnar nerve: here it is superficial, fixed and crosses a joint. The cause of most
cases is unknown. However, there may be a history of elbow fracture, dislocation, arthritis, or repeated
minor trauma.
V
Vertebral Basilar Insufficiency - Vertebral arteries flow through the vertebral or spinal column, and join
together to form the basilar artery at the brain stem. Together, they are the principle arteries providing
blood to the rear portions of the brain including the occipital lobe, cerebellum and brain stem. Vertebral-
basilar insufficiency (VBI) refers to a condition in which blood flow to these arteries is restricted or
'insufficient’.
Vertigo - Symptoms of vestibular impairment may include dizziness with a sense of movement,
imbalance and nausea.
W
Weakness - is a reduction in the strength of one or more muscles resulting from a variety of conditions
including metabolic, neurologic, primary muscular diseases, and toxic disorders.
Wilson’s disease - is an inherited disorder in which excessive amounts of copper accumulate in the
body. This rare disorder affects approximately one in 30,000 individuals. Symptoms may include
abnormal movements of the arms or legs.
X Y Z
| Neurological Issues A to Z |
A neurologist is a board-certified medical doctor or osteopath who has trained in the diagnosis and
treatment of nervous system disorders, including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles.
Neurologists perform neurological examinations of the nerves of the head and neck; muscle strength and
movement; balance, ambulation, and reflexes; and sensation, memory, speech, language, and other
cognitive abilities.
treatment of nervous system disorders, including diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles.
Neurologists perform neurological examinations of the nerves of the head and neck; muscle strength and
movement; balance, ambulation, and reflexes; and sensation, memory, speech, language, and other
cognitive abilities.
| What is a Neurologist? |
| Common neurological tests: |
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
The EEG records the brain’s continuous electrical activity through electrodes attached to the scalp. It is
used to help diagnose structural diseases of the brain and episodes such as seizures, fainting or
blacking out. This test is painless.
Electromyogram (EMG)
An EMG measures and records electrical activity from the muscles and nerves. This may be helpful in
determining the cause of pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the muscles or nerves. Small needles
are inserted into the muscle and mild electrical shocks are given to stimulate the nerve. Activity is
recorded during the insertion, while the muscle is at rest and while the muscle contracts. Your examiner
will determine how many muscles need to be tested depending upon your symptoms.
Evoked potentials
This test records the brain’s electrical response to visual, auditory and sensory stimuli. This test is useful
in evaluating and diagnosing symptoms of dizziness, numbness and tingling, as well as some visual
disorders.
Sleep studies
Involve tests that diagnose specific causes of sleep problems. To perform the tests, it is often necessary
for a patient to spend the night in a sleep laboratory. Brain wave activity, heart rate, electrical activity of
the heart, breathing and oxygen in the blood are all measured during the sleep test.
The EEG records the brain’s continuous electrical activity through electrodes attached to the scalp. It is
used to help diagnose structural diseases of the brain and episodes such as seizures, fainting or
blacking out. This test is painless.
Electromyogram (EMG)
An EMG measures and records electrical activity from the muscles and nerves. This may be helpful in
determining the cause of pain, numbness, tingling or weakness in the muscles or nerves. Small needles
are inserted into the muscle and mild electrical shocks are given to stimulate the nerve. Activity is
recorded during the insertion, while the muscle is at rest and while the muscle contracts. Your examiner
will determine how many muscles need to be tested depending upon your symptoms.
Evoked potentials
This test records the brain’s electrical response to visual, auditory and sensory stimuli. This test is useful
in evaluating and diagnosing symptoms of dizziness, numbness and tingling, as well as some visual
disorders.
Sleep studies
Involve tests that diagnose specific causes of sleep problems. To perform the tests, it is often necessary
for a patient to spend the night in a sleep laboratory. Brain wave activity, heart rate, electrical activity of
the heart, breathing and oxygen in the blood are all measured during the sleep test.
| 36232 Garfield Road. Clinton Township, MI 48035 (586) 791-8044 |
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