EvidenceLib · Topic area
Neuroscience
The brain and nervous system in health and disease. 110 evidence-grounded articles.
A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T V W
Acromegaly
A condition caused by prolonged exposure to excessive human growth hormone in adults.
Action Potentials
Abrupt changes in the membrane potential that sweep along the cell membrane of excitable cells in response to excitation stimuli.
Acute Pain
Intensely discomforting, distressful, or agonizing sensation associated with trauma or disease, with well-defined location, character, and timing.
Alzheimer Disease
A degenerative disease of the brain characterized by the insidious onset of dementia.
Amblyopia
A nonspecific term referring to impaired vision.
Amygdala
Almond-shaped group of basal nuclei anterior to the inferior horn OF the lateral ventricle of the temporal lobe.
Arachnoid
A delicate membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cord.
Arousal
Cortical vigilance or readiness of tone, presumed to be in response to sensory stimulation via the reticular activating system.
Astrocytes
A class of large neuroglial (macroglial) cells in the central nervous system - the largest and most numerous neuroglial cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Auditory Cortex
The region of the cerebral cortex that receives the auditory radiation from the medial geniculate body.
Autonomic Nervous System
The enteric nervous system; parasympathetic nervous system; and sympathetic nervous system taken together.
Axons
Nerve fibers that are capable of rapidly conducting impulses away from the neuron cell body.
Back Pain
Acute or chronic pain located in the posterior regions of the thorax; lumbosacral region; or the adjacent regions.
Basal Ganglia
Large subcortical nuclear masses derived from the telencephalon and located in the basal regions of the cerebral hemispheres.
Blood-Brain Barrier
Specialized non-fenestrated tightly-joined endothelial cells with tight junctions that form a transport barrier for certain substances between the cerebral capillaries and the brain tissue.
Brachial Plexus
The large network of nerve fibers which distributes the innervation of the upper extremity.
Brain
The part of central nervous system that is contained within the skull (cranium).
Brain Death
A state of prolonged irreversible cessation of all brain activity, including lower brain stem function with the complete absence of voluntary movements, responses to stimuli, brain stem reflexes, and spontaneous respirations.
Brain Edema
Increased intracellular or extracellular fluid in brain tissue.
Brain Injuries
Acute and chronic (see also brain injuries, chronic) injuries to the brain, including the cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, and brain stem.
Brain Stem
The part of the brain that connects the cerebral hemispheres with the spinal cord.
Cancer Pain
Pain that may be caused by or related to cellular, tissue, and systemic changes that occur during neoplasm growth, tissue invasion, and metastasis.
Caudate Nucleus
Elongated gray mass of the neostriatum located adjacent to the lateral ventricle of the brain.
Central Nervous System
The main information-processing organs of the nervous system, consisting of the brain, spinal cord, and meninges.
Cerebellar Ataxia
Incoordination of voluntary movements that occur as a manifestation of cerebellar diseases.
Cerebellum
The part of brain that lies behind the brain stem in the posterior base of skull (cranial fossa, posterior).
Cerebral Cortex
The thin layer of gray matter on the surface of the cerebral hemispheres that develops from the telencephalon and folds into gyri and sulci.
Cerebral Palsy
A heterogeneous group of nonprogressive motor disorders caused by chronic brain injuries that originate in the prenatal period, perinatal period, or first few years of life.
Choroid Plexus
A villous structure of tangled masses of blood vessels contained within the third, lateral, and fourth ventricles of the brain.
Chronic Pain
Aching sensation that persists for more than a few months.
Corpus Callosum
Broad plate of dense myelinated fibers that reciprocally interconnect regions of the cortex in all lobes with corresponding regions of the opposite hemisphere.
Cranial Nerves
Twelve pairs of nerves that carry general afferent, visceral afferent, special afferent, somatic efferent, and autonomic efferent fibers.
Default Mode Network
Brain regions which are functionally-connected that are active during resting state and deactivated when engaged in task- or attention-oriented behavioral activities as seen in cognitive imaging studies often with fMRI.
Dementia
An acquired organic mental disorder with loss of intellectual abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning.
Dendrites
Extensions of the nerve cell body.
Dentate Gyrus
Gray matter situated above the gyrus hippocampi.
Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
The upper surfaces of the prefrontal cortex comprising the rostral parts of the superior frontal gyrus and the middle frontal gyrus.
Encephalitis
Inflammation of the brain due to infection, autoimmune processes, toxins, and other conditions.
Entorhinal Cortex
Cerebral cortex region on the medial aspect of the parahippocampal gyrus, immediately caudal to the olfactory cortex of the uncus.
Epilepsy
A disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of paroxysmal brain dysfunction due to a sudden, disorderly, and excessive neuronal discharge.
Evoked Potentials
Electrical responses recorded from nerve, muscle, sensory receptor, or area of the central nervous system following stimulation.
Facial Nerve
The 7th cranial nerve.
Frontal Lobe
The part of the cerebral hemisphere anterior to the central sulcus, and anterior and superior to the lateral sulcus.
Frontotemporal Dementia
The most common clinical form of frontotemporal lobar degeneration, this dementia presents with personality and behavioral changes often associated with disinhibition, apathy, and lack of insight.
Ganglia
Clusters of multipolar neurons surrounded by a capsule of loosely organized connective tissue located outside the central nervous system.
Globus Pallidus
The representation of the phylogenetically oldest part of the corpus striatum called the paleostriatum.
Gray Matter
Region of central nervous system that appears darker in color than the other type, white matter.
Guillain-Barre Syndrome
An acute inflammatory autoimmune neuritis caused by T cell- mediated cellular immune response directed towards peripheral myelin.
Headache
The symptom of PAIN in the cranial region.
Hearing
The ability or act of sensing and transducing acoustic stimulation to the central nervous system.
Hepatic Encephalopathy
A syndrome characterized by central nervous system dysfunction in association with liver failure, including portal-systemic shunts.
Hippocampus
A curved elevation of gray matter extending the entire length of the floor of the temporal horn of the lateral ventricle (see also temporal lobe).
Hydrocephalus
Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranium which may be associated with dilation of cerebral ventricles, intracranial hypertension; headache; lethargy; urinary incontinence; and ataxia.
Hypothalamus
Ventral part of the diencephalon extending from the region of the optic chiasm to the caudal border of the mammillary bodies and forming the inferior and lateral walls of the third ventricle.
Interneurons
Most generally any neurons which are not motor or sensory.
Intracranial Hypertension
Increased pressure within the cranial vault.
Intracranial Pressure
Pressure within the cranial cavity.
Locus Coeruleus
Bluish-colored region in the superior angle of the fourth ventricle floor, corresponding to melanin-like pigmented nerve cells which lie lateral to the periaqueductal gray.
Long-Term Potentiation
A persistent increase in synaptic efficacy, usually induced by appropriate activation of the same synapses.
Microglia
The third type of glial cell, along with astrocytes and oligodendrocytes (which together form the macroglia).
Motor Cortex
Area of the frontal lobe concerned with primary motor control located in the dorsal precentral gyrus immediately anterior to the central sulcus.
Movement Disorders
Syndromes which feature dyskinesias as a cardinal manifestation of the disease process.
Multiple Sclerosis
An autoimmune disorder mainly affecting young adults and characterized by destruction of myelin in the central nervous system.
Neck Pain
Discomfort or more intense forms of pain that are localized to the cervical region.
Neocortex
The largest portion of the cerebral cortex in which the neurons are arranged in six layers in the mammalian brain: molecular, external granular, external pyramidal, internal granular, internal pyramidal and multiform layers.
Nerve Endings
Branch-like terminations of nerve fibers, sensory or motor neurons.
Nerve Fibers
Slender processes of neurons, including the axons and their glial envelopes (myelin sheath).
Nervous System
The entire nerve apparatus, composed of a central part, the brain and spinal cord, and a peripheral part, the cranial and spinal nerves, autonomic ganglia, and plexuses.
Neuralgia
Intense or aching pain that occurs along the course or distribution of a peripheral or cranial nerve.
Neurites
In tissue culture, hairlike projections of neurons stimulated by growth factors and other molecules.
Neurofibrillary Tangles
Abnormal structures located in various parts of the brain and composed of dense arrays of paired helical filaments (neurofilaments and microtubules).
Neurogenesis
Formation of neurons which involves the differentiation and division of stem cells in which one or both of the daughter cells become neurons.
Neurons
The basic cellular units of nervous tissue.
Neuropil
A dense intricate feltwork of interwoven fine glial processes, fibrils, synaptic terminals, axons, and dendrites interspersed among the nerve cells in the gray matter of the central nervous system.
Neuroprotection
The physiological processes and techniques used by the body to prevent neuronal injury and degeneration in the central nervous system following acute disorders or as a result of chronic neurodegenerative diseases.
Nucleus Accumbens
Collection of pleomorphic cells in the caudal part of the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle, in the region of the olfactory tubercle, lying between the head of the caudate nucleus and the anterior perforated substance.
Olfactory Bulb
Ovoid body resting on the cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone where the olfactory nerve terminates.
Optic Nerve
The 2nd cranial nerve which conveys visual information from the retina to the brain.
Pain
An unpleasant sensation induced by noxious stimuli which are detected by nerve endings of nociceptive neurons.
Parkinson Disease
A progressive, degenerative neurologic disease characterized by a tremor that is maximal at rest, retropulsion (i.e.
Peripheral Nerves
The nerves outside of the brain and spinal cord, including the autonomic, cranial, and spinal nerves.
Peripheral Nervous System
The nervous system outside of the brain and spinal cord.
Pineal Gland
A light-sensitive neuroendocrine organ attached to the roof of the third ventricle of the brain.
Pituitary Gland
A small, unpaired gland situated in the sella turcica.
Pons
The front part of the hindbrain (rhombencephalon) that lies between the medulla and the midbrain (mesencephalon) ventral to the cerebellum.
Prefrontal Cortex
The rostral part of the frontal lobe, bounded by the inferior precentral fissure in humans, which receives projection fibers from the mediodorsal nucleus OF the thalamus.
Putamen
The largest and most lateral of the basal ganglia lying between the lateral medullary lamina of the globus pallidus and the external capsule.
Pyramidal Cells
Projection neurons in the cerebral cortex and the hippocampus.
Reflex
An involuntary movement or exercise of function in a part, excited in response to a stimulus applied to the periphery and transmitted to the brain or spinal cord.
Retinal Ganglion Cells
Neurons of the innermost layer of the retina, the internal plexiform layer.
Schwann Cells
Neuroglial cells of the peripheral nervous system which form the insulating myelin sheaths of peripheral axons.
Shoulder Pain
Unilateral or bilateral pain of the shoulder.
Sleep
A readily reversible suspension of sensorimotor interaction with the environment, usually associated with recumbency and immobility.
Smell
The ability to detect scents or odors, such as the function of olfactory receptor neurons.
Somatosensory Cortex
Area of the parietal lobe concerned with receiving sensations such as movement, pain, pressure, position, temperature, touch, and vibration.
Spinal Cord
A cylindrical column of tissue that lies within the vertebral canal.
Substantia Nigra
The black substance in the ventral midbrain or the nucleus of cells containing the black substance.
Subthalamic Nucleus
Lens-shaped structure on the inner aspect of the internal capsule.
Sympathetic Nervous System
The thoracolumbar division of the autonomic nervous system.
Synaptic Transmission
The communication from a neuron to a target (neuron, muscle, or secretory cell) across a synapse.
Taste
The ability to detect chemicals through gustatory receptors in the mouth, including those on the tongue; the palate; the pharynx; and the epiglottis.
Temporal Lobe
Lower lateral part of the cerebral hemisphere responsible for auditory, olfactory, and semantic processing.
Thalamus
Paired bodies containing mostly gray matter and forming part of the lateral wall of the third ventricle of the brain.
Touch
Sensation of making physical contact with objects, animate or inanimate.
Trigeminal Nerve
The 5th and largest cranial nerve.
Vagus Nerve
The 10th cranial nerve.
Ventral Tegmental Area
A region in the mesencephalon which is dorsomedial to the substantia nigra and ventral to the red nucleus.
Visual Cortex
Area of the occipital lobe concerned with the processing of visual information relayed via visual pathways.
Wakefulness
A state in which there is an enhanced potential for sensitivity and an efficient responsiveness to external stimuli.
White Matter
The region of central nervous system that appears lighter in color than the other type, gray matter.