| brain | One of the two components of the central nervous system, the brain is the centre of thought and emotion. It is responsible for the coordination and control of bodily activities and the interpretation of information from the senses (sight, hearing, smell, etc.). (22 May 1997) |
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| brain abscess | A localised cavity filled with pus secondary to a bacterial infection. (27 Sep 1997) |
| brain abscess in kids | <radiology> Cyanotic congenital heart disease, e.g., tetralogy of Fallot, most important predisposing factor, blood not filtered by pulmonary capillaries (12 Dec 1998) |
| brain aneurysm | A dilated and weakened portion of a cerebral blood vessel that is prone to rupture. A cerebral aneurysm may occur as a birth defect or develop as the result of long-standing poorly controlled hypertension. Symptoms of a ruptured cerebral aneurysm include a sudden, severe thunderclap headache that may be associated with nausea, vomiting and a decreased level of consciousness. (27 Sep 1997) |
| brain cicatrix | A scarring of the brain resulting from injury (reactive gliosis), characterised by proliferation of mesodermal (vascular) and ectodermal (glial) elements. See: isomorphous gliosis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brain concussion | Transient or prolonged unconsciousness with or without impairment of higher mental functions and/or brainstem functions, due to a violent blow to the head. (12 Dec 1998) |
| brain congestion | Increased volume of the intravascular compartment of the brain; often associated with brain swelling. Synonym: encephalaemia. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brain contusion | A head injury of sufficient force to bruise the brain. The bruising of the brain will often involve the surface of the brain and cause an extravasation of blood without rupture of the pia-arachnoid. Often associated with a concussion. (27 Sep 1997) |
| brain death | Total cessation of brain function for 24 hours as manifested by absence of spontaneous movement, absence of spontaneous respiration, and absence of all brainstem reflexes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| brain diseases, metabolic | Metabolic disorders which lead to pathological changes and/or functional deviations of the brain. (12 Dec 1998) |
| brain herniation | A condition that occurs when the brain is under abnormally increased pressure. The increased intracranial pressure forces the brain downward inside the skull. This results in typical neurologic manifestations (coma, paralysis and a unilateral dilated pupil). May occur secondary to head injury, primary or metastatic brain tumour, bacterial meningitis and brain abscess. Brain herniations may involve different portions of the brain such as the cerebellum (cerebellar herniation), uncus (uncal herniation) and transtentorial herniation of the cerebrum. (27 Sep 1997) |
| brain injury | Acute injuries to the brain, general or unspecified. (12 Dec 1998) |
| brain iron | <radiology> Normal, Infant: NONE, Adult: globus pallidum, substantia nigra, red nucleus, dentate nucleus, Aging: (adult) and putamen, Degenerative disease, Parkinson disease: putamen, SN compacta, Huntington disease: caudate, putamen, Alzheimer disease: cerebral cortex, Hallervorden-Spatz disease, MS: thalamus, putamen, Others, AVM: malformation and rim, Bleed: rim macrophages, Haemorrhagic CVA: gyral / basal ganglia MRI: low T1 and T2 signal (12 Dec 1998) |
| brain laceration | Gross tearing of neural tissue. (05 Mar 2000) |
| brain lipid | Impure cephalin possessing marked haemostatic action when locally applied. (05 Mar 2000) |
| acute brain syndrome | <syndrome> A condition of severe confusion or rapid change in brain function. This often occurs as the result of a mental illness or physical illness. Symptoms include lethargy, agitation, confusion, disorientation and delirium. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| acute organic brain syndrome | <syndrome> A constellation of behavioural or psychological signs and symptoms including problems with attention, concentration, memory, confusion, anxiety, and depression caused by transient or permanent dysfunction of the brain. Synonym: acute organic brain syndrome, OBS, organic mental syndrome. (05 Mar 2000) |
| anterior part of anterior commissure of brain | The anterior part of the anterior or rostral commissure of the brain. Synonym: pars anterior commissurae rostralis, pars anterior commissurae anterioris cerebri. (05 Mar 2000) |
| arachnoid of brain | That portion of the arachnoid which lies within the cranial cavity and surrounds the brain and the cranial portion of the subarachnoid space. In several sites it is relatively widely-separated from the pia mater, creating the cranial subarachnoid cisterns. Synonym: arachnoid mater cranialis, arachnoid mater encephali, cerebral part of arachnoid. (05 Mar 2000) |
| base of brain | The inferior surface of the brain visible when seen from below. Synonym: facies inferior cerebri, basis cerebri, inferior cerebral surface. (05 Mar 2000) |
| big brain | <molecular biology> Neurogenic gene of Drosophila, believed to encode a product involved in cell cell communication, perhaps via gap junctions. Member of the major intrinsic protein family. (18 Nov 1997) |
| blood-brain barrier | <pharmacology, physiology> A protective barrier formed by the blood vessels and glia of the brain. It prevents some substances in the blood from entering brain tissue. The blood vessels of the brain (and the retina) are much more impermeable to large molecules (like antibodies) than blood vessels elsewhere in the body. This has important implications for the ability of the organism to mount an immune response in these tissues, although the basis for the difference in endothelial permeability is not well understood. (16 Dec 1997) |
| bulb of posterior horn of lateral ventricle of brain | Bulb of posterior horn of lateral ventricle of the brain; a curved elevation on the inner wall of the posterior horn produced by the fibres of the forceps major of the corpus callosum as they bend backward into the occipital lobe. Synonym: bulb of posterior horn of lateral ventricle of brain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| cancer, brain | Cancer of the central information processing centre of the body. Tumours in the brain can be malignant or benign and can occur at any age. Primary brain tumours initially form in the brain tissue. Secondary brain tumours are cancers that have spread to the brain tissue (metastasized) from elsewhere in the body. (12 Dec 1998) |
| visceral brain | Collective term denoting a heterogeneous array of brain structures at or near the edge (limbus) of the medial wall of the cerebral hemisphere, in particular the hippocampus, amygdala, and fornicate gyrus; the term is often used so as to include also the interconnections of these structures, as well as their connections with the septal area, the hypothalamus, and a medial zone of mesencephalic tegmentum. By way of the latter connections, the limbic system exerts an important influence upon the endocrine and autonomic motor system's; its functions also appear to affect motivational and mood states. Synonym: visceral brain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| medullary arteries of brain | Branches of the cortical artery's which penetrate to and supply the white matter of the cerebrum. (05 Mar 2000) |
| respirator brain | A swollen and congested brain with necrotic and autolytic changes seen in patients who have been on a respirator. (05 Mar 2000) |
| ring lesions in brain | <radiology> Hypodense, peripherally enhancing lesions, ** mnemonic: MAGIC DR., metastasis, abscess, glioma, granuloma, infarct, contusion, demyelination, resolving haematoma (12 Dec 1998) |
| metastatic brain tumour | A malignant growth in brain tissue that has spread from another primary cancer site (for example breast cancer, malignant melanoma, lung cancer) in the body. (27 Sep 1997) |
| gyral brain calcification | <radiology> Sturge-Weber-Dimitri syndrome, treated CNS lymphoma, post-meningoencephalitis, brain tumour (oligodendroglioma) (12 Dec 1998) |