Neurological and Psychiatric Terminology: Complete Guide to Brain and Mental Health Terms

Neurological and psychiatric terminology provides the specialized vocabulary that enables healthcare professionals throughout Dubai’s world-class medical facilities to communicate precisely about the brain, nervous system, and mental health. From the fundamental concepts of neuroanatomy and neurophysiology to the sophisticated terminology of stroke, epilepsy, dementia, and psychiatric disorders, understanding this vocabulary empowers patients to engage meaningfully in discussions about their neurological and mental health, appreciate the rationale for diagnostic tests and treatments, and make informed decisions about managing conditions affecting the brain and mind. Whether you are a healthcare professional refining your understanding, a patient managing a neurological or psychiatric condition, or a family member supporting a loved one through brain or mental health challenges, this comprehensive glossary provides the foundation for understanding the language of neurology and psychiatry used in Dubai’s hospitals, clinics, and mental health centers.

The landscape of neurology and psychiatry has transformed dramatically with advances in neuroimaging, neuropharmacology, and understanding of brain-behavior relationships. Dubai’s healthcare infrastructure reflects these advances, with specialized stroke centers, epilepsy monitoring units, memory clinics, and comprehensive mental health services. Understanding neurological and psychiatric terminology helps patients navigate this sophisticated landscape, appreciate the rationale for neurological examinations and brain imaging, and engage actively in managing their brain and mental health. The terms presented in this glossary represent the essential vocabulary for understanding neuroanatomy, neurological conditions, psychiatric disorders, and neurological-psychiatric treatments.

Central Nervous System Terminology

Central nervous system (CNS) terminology describes the brain and spinal cord, the control center of the nervous system. Understanding CNS anatomy helps patients appreciate how the brain works and what goes wrong in neurological disease.

Central Nervous System (CNS) includes the brain and spinal cord, the portion of the nervous system encased in bone (skull and vertebral column). Understanding CNS helps patients appreciate the protected portion of the nervous system.

Brain is the organ within the skull that controls consciousness, cognition, movement, sensation, and autonomic functions. Understanding the brain helps patients appreciate its complexity and the specialization of different regions.

Cerebrum is the largest part of the brain, divided into two hemispheres and responsible for higher functions (cognition, voluntary movement, sensation, language). Understanding the cerebrum helps patients appreciate conscious thought and voluntary action.

Cerebral Cortex is the outer layer of the cerebrum, composed of gray matter with specialized functional areas (motor, sensory, visual, auditory, language). Understanding the cortex helps patients appreciate localization of brain function.

Frontal Lobe is the anterior portion of the cerebrum, responsible for executive functions, motor control, speech production (Broca’s area), and personality. Understanding the frontal lobe helps patients appreciate executive function and motor control.

Parietal Lobe is the middle portion of the cerebrum, responsible for sensory processing, spatial orientation, and numerical processing. Understanding the parietal lobe helps patients appreciate sensory integration.

Temporal Lobe is the inferior portion of the cerebrum, responsible for auditory processing, memory (hippocampus), and language comprehension (Wernicke’s area). Understanding the temporal lobe helps patients appreciate hearing and memory.

Occipital Lobe is the posterior portion of the cerebrum, responsible for visual processing. Understanding the occipital lobe helps patients appreciate visual function and cortical blindness.

Cerebellum is the posterior inferior structure responsible for coordination, balance, and motor learning. Understanding the cerebellum helps patients appreciate coordination problems (ataxia).

Brainstem is the primitive portion of the brain connecting the cerebrum to the spinal cord, containing vital centers (respiration, cardiac, vasomotor) and cranial nerve nuclei. Understanding the brainstem helps patients appreciate life-threatening conditions affecting this area.

Midbrain (Mesencephalon) is the upper portion of the brainstem, containing nuclei for eye movements and dopamine-producing neurons (substantia nigra). Understanding the midbrain helps patients appreciate Parkinsonism and eye movement disorders.

Pons is the middle portion of the brainstem, containing respiratory centers and nuclei for cranial nerves V, VI, VII, VIII. Understanding the pons helps patients appreciate locked-in syndrome and respiratory control.

Medulla Oblongata is the lower portion of the brainstem, containing vital centers (respiratory, cardiac, vasomotor) and nuclei for cranial nerves IX, X, XI, XII. Understanding the medulla helps patients appreciate vital function control.

Thalamus is the relay station in the brain, processing and relaying sensory and motor information to the cortex. Understanding the thalamus helps patients appreciate sensory processing.

Hypothalamus is the regulator of autonomic, endocrine, and emotional functions, controlling pituitary hormone release and homeostasis. Understanding the hypothalamus helps patients appreciate endocrine and autonomic control.

Basal Ganglia are deep brain structures (caudate, putamen, globus pallidus, substantia nigra) involved in movement control. Understanding basal ganglia helps patients appreciate Parkinsonism and movement disorders.

Limbic System is the group of structures (hippocampus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, hypothalamus) involved in emotion, memory, and behavior. Understanding the limbic system helps patients appreciate emotional and memory functions.

Peripheral Nervous System Terminology

Peripheral nervous system (PNS) terminology describes the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord. Understanding PNS anatomy helps patients appreciate how the CNS communicates with the body.

Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) includes all neural tissue outside the brain and spinal cord, consisting of cranial nerves, spinal nerves, and autonomic nerves. Understanding PNS helps patients appreciate the connection between CNS and body.

Cranial Nerves (CN I-XII) are 12 pairs of nerves emerging directly from the brainstem, providing sensory and motor innervation to the head and neck and parasympathetic innervation to viscera. Understanding cranial nerves helps patients appreciate head and neck function.

Olfactory Nerve (CN I) is the sensory nerve for smell, passing from nasal mucosa to olfactory bulb. Understanding CN I helps patients appreciate anosmia (loss of smell).

Optic Nerve (CN II) is the sensory nerve for vision, transmitting visual information from retina to brain. Understanding CN II helps patients appreciate visual pathways and visual field defects.

Oculomotor Nerve (CN III) controls most eye movements (all except lateral gaze and upgaze) and pupillary constriction. Understanding CN III helps patients appreciate diplopia and ptosis.

Trochlear Nerve (CN IV) controls superior oblique eye movement. Understanding CN IV helps patients appreciate vertical diplopia.

Trigeminal Nerve (CN V) provides sensation to the face and motor function for chewing. Understanding CN V helps patients appreciate facial sensation and mastication.

Abducens Nerve (CN VI) controls lateral rectus eye movement. Understanding CN VI helps patients appreciate horizontal diplopia.

Facial Nerve (CN VII) provides taste to anterior tongue, motor to facial muscles, and parasympathetic to lacrimal and salivary glands. Understanding CN VII helps patients appreciate facial paralysis and taste loss.

Vestibulocochlear Nerve (CN VIII) provides hearing (cochlear division) and balance (vestibular division). Understanding CN VIII helps patients appreciate hearing loss and vertigo.

Glossopharyngeal Nerve (CN IX) provides sensation to pharynx and posterior tongue, taste to posterior tongue, and parasympathetic to parotid gland. Understanding CN IX helps patients appreciate gag reflex and salivation.

Vagus Nerve (CN X) provides motor to palate, pharynx, and larynx; parasympathetic to thoracoabdominal viscera; and sensory from thoracoabdominal viscera. Understanding CN X helps patients appreciate swallowing and autonomic control.

Accessory Nerve (CN XI) provides motor to sternocleidomastoid and trapezius muscles. Understanding CN XI helps patients appreciate shoulder weakness.

Hypoglossal Nerve (CN XII) provides motor to tongue muscles. Understanding CN XII helps patients appreciate tongue weakness and dysarthria.

Spinal Nerves are 31 pairs of nerves emerging from the spinal cord, providing sensory and motor innervation to the body. Understanding spinal nerves helps patients appreciate peripheral nerve function.

Dermatome is the area of skin innervated by a single spinal nerve. Understanding dermatomes helps patients appreciate nerve root distribution and radicular pain.

Myotome is the muscle group innervated by a single spinal nerve. Understanding myotomes helps patients appreciate nerve root distribution and weakness.

Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) controls involuntary functions, divided into sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) divisions. Understanding ANS helps patients appreciate autonomic function.

Sympathetic Nervous System is the division responsible for fight or, originating flight responses in thoracolumbar spinal cord. Understanding sympathetic system helps patients appreciate stress responses.

Parasympathetic Nervous System is the division responsible for rest and digest functions, originating in cranial nerves and sacral spinal cord. Understanding parasympathetic system helps patients appreciate digestive and parasympathetic functions.

Neuromuscular Junction (NMJ) is the synapse between motor neuron and skeletal muscle, where acetylcholine transmits signals. Understanding NMJ helps patients appreciate myasthenia gravis.

Neurophysiology and Neural Function Terminology

Neurophysiology terminology describes how neurons and neural circuits function. Understanding neural function helps patients appreciate how the nervous system works and what goes wrong in disease.

Neuron is the basic unit of the nervous system, consisting of a cell body (soma), dendrites (receiving processes), and an axon (transmitting process). Understanding neurons helps patients appreciate the cellular basis of nervous system function.

Axon is the long projection of a neuron that conducts electrical impulses away from the cell body to target tissues. Understanding axons helps patients appreciate peripheral nerve structure and axonal neuropathies.

Dendrite is the branched projection of a neuron that receives signals from other neurons. Understanding dendrites helps patients appreciate synaptic integration.

Synapse is the junction between neurons or between a neuron and target cell, where neurotransmitter is released to transmit signals. Understanding synapses helps patients appreciate synaptic transmission.

Neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that transmits signals across synapses. Understanding neurotransmitters helps patients appreciate pharmacological treatments for neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Acetylcholine (ACh) is a neurotransmitter at NMJs, in autonomic ganglia, and in CNS (memory, attention). Understanding ACh helps patients appreciate myasthenia gravis and Alzheimer disease.

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in CNS (movement, reward, motivation) and peripheral nervous system. Understanding dopamine helps patients appreciate Parkinson disease and psychiatric medications.

Serotonin (5-HT) is a neurotransmitter in CNS (mood, sleep, appetite) and GI tract. Understanding serotonin helps patients appreciate depression and anxiety treatments.

Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter in sympathetic nervous system and CNS (attention, arousal). Understanding norepinephrine helps patients appreciate stress responses and depression.

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter in CNS. Understanding GABA helps patients appreciate anxiety, seizures, and GABAergic medications.

Glutamate is the main excitatory neurotransmitter in CNS. Understanding glutamate helps patients appreciate excitotoxicity and seizure pathophysiology.

Action Potential is the electrical impulse that propagates along neurons, allowing rapid signal transmission. Understanding action potentials helps patients appreciate how neurons communicate.

Resting Membrane Potential is the electrical charge difference across the neuronal membrane at rest, typically -70mV. Understanding resting potential helps patients appreciate excitability.

Myelin is the insulating sheath around axons, produced by Schwann cells (PNS) and oligodendrocytes (CNS), allowing rapid saltatory conduction. Understanding myelin helps patients appreciate demyelinating diseases.

Saltatory Conduction is the rapid conduction of action potentials along myelinated axons, jumping between nodes of Ranvier. Understanding saltatory conduction helps patients appreciate why demyelination slows conduction.

Reflex Arc is the neural circuit mediating reflexes, consisting of sensory receptor, afferent neuron, integration center, efferent neuron, and effector. Understanding reflex arcs helps patients appreciate reflex testing.

Corticospinal Tract is the major motor pathway from cortex to spinal cord, controlling voluntary movement. Understanding corticospinal tract helps patients appreciate upper motor neuron lesions.

Dorsal Column-Medial Lemniscus Pathway is the sensory pathway for fine touch, vibration, and proprioception. Understanding this pathway helps patients appreciate sensory deficits.

Spinothalamic Tract is the sensory pathway for pain and temperature. Understanding this tract helps patients appreciate dissociated sensory loss.

Stroke and Cerebrovascular Terminology

Stroke terminology describes the specialized vocabulary of cerebrovascular disease, the leading cause of disability globally. Understanding stroke terminology helps patients recognize, prevent, and recover from stroke.

Stroke is an acute neurological deficit caused by vascular injury to the brain, classified as ischemic (thrombotic, embolic) or hemorrhagic (intracerebral, subarachnoid). Understanding stroke helps patients appreciate this medical emergency.

Ischemic Stroke is stroke caused by cerebral infarction from arterial occlusion (thrombotic or embolic). Understanding ischemic stroke helps patients appreciate the most common stroke type (85%).

Thrombotic Stroke is ischemic stroke caused by local thrombus formation at atherosclerotic plaque. Understanding thrombotic stroke helps patients appreciate large and small vessel disease.

Embolic Stroke is ischemic stroke caused by embolism from cardiac or arterial source. Understanding embolic stroke helps patients appreciate cardioembolic and artery-to-artery embolism.

Hemorrhagic Stroke is stroke caused by bleeding into the brain (intracerebral) or surrounding spaces (subarachnoid). Understanding hemorrhagic stroke helps patients appreciate the less common but more lethal stroke type.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH) is bleeding directly into brain parenchyma, typically from hypertension or amyloid angiopathy. Understanding ICH helps patients appreciate hypertensive hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) is bleeding into the subarachnoid space, typically from saccular aneurysm rupture. Understanding SAH helps patients appreciate the “worst headache” presentation.

Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) is transient neurological deficit without permanent infarction, a warning sign for future stroke. Understanding TIA helps patients appreciate this urgent warning.

Cerebral Infarction is death of brain tissue from ischemia, appearing as hypodensity on CT or hyperintensity on MRI. Understanding infarction helps patients appreciate the tissue damage in stroke.

Intracerebral Hemorrhage bleeding within brain tissue, causing mass effect and neurological deficits.

Cerebral Edema is swelling of the brain, a common consequence of stroke that may require intervention. Understanding edema helps patients appreciate post-stroke management.

Cerebral Herniation is shift of brain tissue across structures due to mass effect, potentially fatal. Understanding herniation helps patients appreciate severe brain injury.

Thrombolysis is dissolution of clot using tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) for acute ischemic stroke. Understanding thrombolysis helps patients appreciate time-limited acute treatment.

Mechanical Thrombectomy is catheter-based removal of clot from cerebral artery for acute ischemic stroke. Understanding thrombectomy helps patients appreciate endovascular treatment for large vessel occlusion.

National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) is a standardized neurological examination scoring stroke severity. Understanding NIHSS helps patients appreciate severity assessment.

Modified Rankin Scale (mRS) measures functional outcome after stroke, ranging from 0 (no symptoms) to 6 (death). Understanding mRS helps patients appreciate outcome assessment.

Atherosclerosis is plaque formation in arteries, affecting carotid and cerebral arteries. Understanding atherosclerosis helps patients appreciate stroke risk factors.

Carotid Artery Disease is atherosclerosis of the carotid arteries, causing stroke risk from thrombosis or embolization. Understanding carotid disease helps patients appreciate carotid endarterectomy and stenting.

Cerebral Aneurysm is focal dilation of cerebral artery wall, at risk of rupture causing subarachnoid hemorrhage. Understanding aneurysm helps patients appreciate SAH risk.

Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM) is congenital tangles of abnormal vessels connecting arteries and veins. Understanding AVM helps patients appreciate hemorrhage risk and treatment.

Epilepsy and Seizure Terminology

Epilepsy and seizure terminology describes the specialized vocabulary of epileptic disorders. Understanding this terminology helps patients recognize, diagnose, and manage seizures.

Seizure is abnormal, hypersynchronous electrical activity of neurons causing transient neurological symptoms. Understanding seizures helps patients appreciate this common neurological condition.

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures due to abnormal brain activity. Understanding epilepsy helps patients appreciate this chronic condition.

Generalized Seizure originates simultaneously from both hemispheres, causing bilateral symptoms. Understanding generalized seizures helps patients appreciate absence, tonic, clonic, and atonic seizures.

Focal Seizure originates from one hemisphere, may remain localized (simple focal) or spread (complex focal, secondary generalization). Understanding focal seizures helps patients appreciate Jacksonian march and automatisms.

Tonic-Clonic Seizure (Grand Mal) is generalized seizure with tonic (stiffening) and clonic (jerking) phases, with post-ictal confusion. Understanding tonic-clonic seizures helps patients appreciate this dramatic presentation.

Absence Seizure is generalized seizure with brief (5-10 seconds) loss of awareness, staring, and subtle automatisms. Understanding absence seizures helps patients appreciate childhood absence epilepsy.

Myoclonic Seizure is brief, shock-like muscle jerks. Understanding myoclonic seizures helps patients appreciate myoclonic epilepsies.

Atonic Seizure (Drop Attack) is sudden loss of muscle tone, causing falls. Understanding atonic seizures helps patients appreciate injury risk.

Simple Focal Seizure is focal seizure without impaired awareness, with motor, sensory, or autonomic symptoms. Understanding simple focal seizures helps patients appreciate aura and focal symptoms.

Complex Focal Seizure is focal seizure with impaired awareness, often with automatisms (lip smacking, picking). Understanding complex focal seizures helps patients appreciate temporal lobe seizures.

Secondary Generalization is spread of focal seizure to generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Understanding secondary generalization helps patients appreciate why focal seizures may become bilateral.

Aura is the initial sensation of a seizure, actually a simple focal seizure. Understanding aura helps patients appreciate the warning before larger seizures.

Ictal refers to the active phase of a seizure. Understanding ictal helps patients appreciate seizure phases.

Post-Ictal is the period following a seizure with confusion, fatigue, and headache. Understanding post-ictal helps patients appreciate post-seizure state.

Status Epilepticus is continuous seizure activity or recurrent seizures without recovery, a medical emergency. Understanding status helps patients appreciate this life-threatening condition.

Epileptiform Discharges are characteristic EEG patterns of spikes and sharp waves seen in epilepsy. Understanding epileptiform discharges helps patients appreciate EEG findings.

Antiepileptic Drug (AED) is medication to prevent seizures. Understanding AEDs helps patients appreciate seizure management.

Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) is implanted device delivering electrical stimulation to vagus nerve, reducing seizures. Understanding VNS helps patients appreciate neuromodulation therapy.

Ketogenic Diet is high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet used to treat drug-resistant epilepsy. Understanding ketogenic diet helps patients appreciate dietary therapy.

Dementia and Neurodegenerative Disease Terminology

Dementia terminology describes the specialized vocabulary of cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases. Understanding dementia terminology helps patients and families navigate cognitive assessment and care.

Dementia is a syndrome of progressive cognitive decline interfering with independence in daily activities. Understanding dementia helps patients appreciate this common condition affecting older adults.

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia, characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Understanding Alzheimer’s helps patients appreciate the most common dementia type.

Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) is cognitive decline greater than expected for age but not interfering with daily activities. Understanding MCI helps patients appreciate the precursor to dementia.

Vascular Dementia is cognitive decline from cerebrovascular disease, with stepwise progression and focal neurological signs. Understanding vascular dementia helps patients appreciate multi-infarct dementia.

Lewy Body Dementia (LBD) is dementia with visual hallucinations, parkinsonism, and fluctuations, characterized by alpha-synuclein inclusions. Understanding LBD helps patients appreciate this common dementia.

Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) is dementia characterized by personality changes, disinhibition, or language problems, with frontal and/or temporal atrophy. Understanding FTD helps patients appreciate early-onset dementia.

Parkinson’s Disease is neurodegenerative disorder characterized by bradykinesia, rigidity, tremor, and postural instability, with Lewy bodies in substantia nigra. Understanding Parkinson’s helps patients appreciate this movement disorder.

Parkinsonism is the syndrome of bradykinesia plus rigidity and/or tremor, seen in Parkinson’s disease and other conditions. Understanding parkinsonism helps patients appreciate the symptom complex.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is progressive degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons, causing weakness, atrophy, and respiratory failure. Understanding ALS helps patients appreciate motor neuron disease.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is autoimmune demyelinating disease of CNS causing relapsing-remitting or progressive neurological deficits. Understanding MS helps patients appreciate this demyelinating disease.

Huntington’s Disease is autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease causing chorea, cognitive decline, and psychiatric disturbance. Understanding Huntington’s helps patients appreciate genetic neurodegenerative disease.

Mild Behavioral Impairment (MBI) is late-life emergence of sustained behavioral changes, a risk factor for dementia. Understanding MBI helps patients appreciate behavioral precursors.

Neurofibrillary Tangle is intracellular accumulation of hyperphosphorylated tau protein in Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding tangles helps patients appreciate Alzheimer’s pathology.

Amyloid Plaque is extracellular deposition of beta-amyloid protein in Alzheimer’s disease. Understanding plaques helps patients appreciate Alzheimer’s pathology.

Lewy Body is intracellular inclusion of alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia. Understanding Lewy bodies helps patients appreciate synucleinopathies.

Neurodegeneration is progressive loss of neuronal structure and function in specific brain regions. Understanding neurodegeneration helps patients appreciate the progressive nature of these diseases.

Psychiatric Disorder Terminology

Psychiatric disorder terminology describes the specialized vocabulary of mental health conditions. Understanding psychiatric terminology helps patients recognize symptoms and seek appropriate care.

Mental Disorder is a clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior, causing distress or impairment. Understanding mental disorders helps patients appreciate that these are medical conditions.

Depression (Major Depressive Disorder) is a mood disorder characterized by depressed mood, anhedonia, and associated symptoms (sleep, appetite, energy, concentration) for at least two weeks. Understanding depression helps patients appreciate this common, treatable condition.

Major Depressive Episode is the symptomatic period of major depression, with criteria including depressed mood or anhedonia plus four additional symptoms for at least two weeks.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) is chronic depression lasting at least two years, with less severe but more persistent symptoms.

Bipolar Disorder is a mood disorder characterized by episodes of depression and mania/hypomania. Understanding bipolar disorder helps patients appreciate mood cycling.

Mania is a distinct period of abnormally elevated, expansive, or irritable mood with increased energy, decreased need for sleep, grandiosity, and impulsivity. Understanding mania helps patients appreciate the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

Hypomania is a milder form of mania with similar but less severe symptoms, not causing marked impairment.

Psychosis is a disconnection from reality, characterized by delusions (fixed false beliefs) and hallucinations (perceptual disturbances without external stimuli). Understanding psychosis helps patients appreciate this symptom of severe mental illness.

Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and negative symptoms. Understanding schizophrenia helps patients appreciate this chronic mental illness.

Delusion is a fixed, false belief maintained despite evidence to the contrary, common in psychosis. Understanding delusions helps patients appreciate psychotic symptoms.

Hallucination is perception in the absence of external stimulus, most commonly auditory in psychosis. Understanding hallucinations helps patients appreciate perceptual disturbances.

Disorganized Thinking is speech that is difficult to follow due to loose associations, tangentiality, or incoherence. Understanding disorganized thinking helps patients appreciate thought disorder.

Negative Symptoms are reductions in normal functioning: flat affect, alogia (poverty of speech), avolition (lack of motivation), anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure), asociality. Understanding negative symptoms helps patients appreciate schizophrenia beyond psychosis.

Anxiety Disorder is a group of disorders characterized by excessive fear and anxiety, including generalized anxiety, panic, social anxiety, and specific phobias. Understanding anxiety disorders helps patients appreciate these common conditions.

Panic Attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort reaching peak within minutes, with physical and cognitive symptoms. Understanding panic attacks helps patients appreciate acute anxiety episodes.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least six months. Understanding GAD helps patients appreciate chronic anxiety.

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) is marked fear of social situations where one may be scrutinized by others. Understanding social anxiety helps patients appreciate social fears.

Specific Phobia is marked fear of a specific object or situation (heights, animals, blood), avoided or endured with intense anxiety. Understanding specific phobia helps patients appreciate circumscribed fears.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is characterized by obsessions (recurrent, persistent thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors) performed to reduce anxiety. Understanding OCD helps patients appreciate this condition.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a trauma-related disorder with intrusive memories, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition/mood, and arousal/reactivity following traumatic event. Understanding PTSD helps patients appreciate trauma-related conditions.

Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder) is neurological symptoms incompatible with recognized neurological or medical conditions, attributed to psychological factors. Understanding conversion disorder helps patients appreciate psychogenic symptoms.

Somatic Symptom Disorder is excessive focus on physical symptoms with significant distress and impairment, with or without diagnosed medical condition.

Personality Disorder is enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior deviating from cultural expectations, causing impairment. Understanding personality disorders helps patients appreciate long-standing patterns.

Mental Status Examination Terminology

Mental status examination terminology describes the components of psychiatric assessment. Understanding MSE terminology helps patients appreciate psychiatric evaluation.

Appearance describes physical presentation including hygiene, grooming, and dress. Understanding appearance helps patients appreciate the first MSE component.

Behavior describes level of activity, eye contact, and rapport during interview. Understanding behavior helps patients appreciate observational assessment.

Speech describes rate, rhythm, volume, and content of speech. Understanding speech helps patients appreciate thought process assessment.

Mood is the patient’s subjective emotional state. Understanding mood helps patients appreciate emotional baseline.

Affect is the observed emotional expression, characterized by range, intensity, appropriateness, and mobility. Understanding affect helps patients appreciate emotional presentation.

Thought Process is the logical organization of thoughts, described as logical, tangential, circumstantial, loose, flight of ideas, or word salad. Understanding thought process helps patients appreciate thought organization.

Thought Content describes the themes and preoccupations in thoughts, including delusions, obsessions, and suicidal/homicidal ideation. Understanding thought content helps patients appreciate thought themes.

Perception describes sensory experiences, including hallucinations (auditory, visual, tactile). Understanding perception helps patients appreciate perceptual disturbances.

Cognition is assessed through orientation, attention, memory, and executive function. Understanding cognition helps patients appreciate cognitive assessment.

Insight is the patient’s awareness of their condition and its implications. Understanding insight helps patients appreciate self-awareness.

Judgment is the ability to make appropriate decisions. Understanding judgment helps patients appreciate decision-making capacity.

Suicidal Ideation is thoughts about suicide, ranging from passive thoughts to active planning. Understanding suicidal ideation helps patients appreciate suicide risk assessment.

Homicidal Ideation is thoughts about harming others. Understanding homicidal ideation helps patients appreciate violence risk assessment.

Crystallized Intelligence is knowledge and skills acquired through education and experience. Understanding crystallized intelligence helps patients appreciate accumulated knowledge.

Fluid Intelligence is the ability to solve novel problems and adapt to new situations. Understanding fluid intelligence helps patients appreciate novel problem-solving.

Neurological Examination and Diagnostic Terminology

Neurological examination and diagnostic terminology describes how neurologists assess and diagnose neurological conditions. Understanding this terminology helps patients appreciate neurological evaluation.

Cranial Nerve Examination assesses the 12 cranial nerves, including vision, eye movements, facial sensation and movement, hearing, and tongue function. Understanding CN exam helps patients appreciate head and neck neurological assessment.

Motor Examination assesses strength, tone, and bulk of muscles, graded 0-5. Understanding motor exam helps patients appreciate strength assessment.

Sensory Examination assesses light touch, pain, temperature, vibration, and proprioception. Understanding sensory exam helps patients appreciate sensation assessment.

Reflex Examination assesses deep tendon reflexes (biceps, triceps, patellar, Achilles) and pathological reflexes (Babinski, Hoffman). Understanding reflex exam helps patients appreciate reflex assessment.

Coordination Examination assesses finger-nose, heel-shin, and rapid alternating movements. Understanding coordination exam helps patients appreciate cerebellar function.

Gait Examination assesses walking pattern, including tandem walking and walking on heels/toes. Understanding gait exam helps patients appreciate mobility assessment.

Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) is a brief cognitive screening tool assessing orientation, registration, attention, recall, language, and visuospatial skills. Understanding MMSE helps patients appreciate cognitive screening.

Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) is a brief cognitive screening tool, more sensitive than MMSE for mild cognitive impairment. Understanding MoCA helps patients appreciate cognitive screening.

Electroencephalogram (EEG) records electrical activity of the brain, used to diagnose epilepsy, encephalopathy, and brain death. Understanding EEG helps patients appreciate brain wave recording.

Computed Tomography (CT) uses X-rays to create cross-sectional brain images, used for acute stroke and hemorrhage detection. Understanding CT helps patients appreciate emergency brain imaging.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses magnetic fields to create detailed brain images, superior to CT for most neurological conditions. Understanding MRI helps patients appreciate detailed brain imaging.

Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA) images cerebral blood vessels. Understanding MRA helps patients appreciate vascular imaging.

Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap) is needle insertion into subarachnoid space to obtain cerebrospinal fluid for analysis. Understanding LP helps patients appreciate CSF testing.

Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) is the clear fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord, analyzed for cells, protein, glucose, and infectious/inflammatory markers. Understanding CSF helps patients appreciate fluid analysis.

Nerve Conduction Studies (NCS) measure electrical conduction in peripheral nerves, used to diagnose neuropathy and myopathy. Understanding NCS helps patients appreciate nerve testing.

Electromyography (EMG) records electrical activity of muscles, used to diagnose neurogenic and myopathic conditions. Understanding EMG helps patients appreciate muscle testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between central and peripheral nervous system? The CNS (brain and spinal cord) is the control center; the PNS (cranial and spinal nerves) connects the CNS to the body.

What causes a stroke? Strokes are caused by ischemia (clot blocking artery) or hemorrhage (bleeding in brain), with risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and atrial fibrillation.

What is the difference between a seizure and epilepsy? A seizure is a single event of abnormal electrical activity; epilepsy is the condition of recurrent unprovoked seizures.

What is the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia? Dementia is the syndrome of cognitive decline; Alzheimer’s is the most common cause of dementia.

What are the symptoms of depression? Symptoms include persistent sadness, loss of interest, sleep/appetite changes, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness, and sometimes thoughts of death.

What is a migraine? Migraine is a recurrent headache disorder characterized by moderate-severe throbbing pain, often with nausea, photophobia, and phonophobia, sometimes with aura.

What is multiple sclerosis? MS is an autoimmune demyelinating disease of the CNS causing relapsing-remitting or progressive neurological deficits.

What is the treatment for Parkinson’s disease? Treatment includes dopaminergic medications (levodopa, dopamine agonists, MAO-B inhibitors), physical therapy, and sometimes deep brain stimulation.

What is the difference between psychosis and schizophrenia? Psychosis is a symptom of losing touch with reality; schizophrenia is a specific disorder characterized by psychosis plus other symptoms lasting at least six months.

What causes anxiety? Anxiety results from genetic, developmental, psychological, and environmental factors, with underlying neurobiological changes in brain circuits.

What is a concussion? A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury causing temporary neurological dysfunction, typically from head trauma.

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale? The GCS is a standardized assessment of consciousness, scoring eye, verbal, and motor responses to assess severity of brain injury.

What is the difference between forgetfulness and dementia? Forgetfulness is occasional memory lapses; dementia is progressive, disabling cognitive decline affecting daily function.

What is the treatment for epilepsy? Treatment includes anti-seizure medications, ketogenic diet, vagus nerve stimulation, and sometimes epilepsy surgery.

What are the symptoms of a brain tumor? Symptoms include headache (worse morning), nausea/vomiting, seizures, focal neurological deficits, and cognitive changes.

What is the difference between myopathy and neuropathy? Myopathy is muscle disease (weakness); neuropathy is nerve disease (weakness plus sensory changes).

What causes tremors? Tremors have many causes including essential tremor, Parkinson’s disease, medications, hyperthyroidism, and anxiety.

What is the difference between ADHD and anxiety? ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder of attention and impulse control; anxiety is excessive fear and worry, though they often coexist.

What is post-concussion syndrome? Post-concussion syndrome is persistent symptoms (headache, dizziness, cognitive difficulties) following concussion, lasting weeks to months.

What is the treatment for OCD? Treatment includes SSRIs and cognitive-behavioral therapy including exposure and response prevention.

What is the difference between schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder? Schizophrenia has psychosis without prominent mood episodes; schizoaffective disorder has psychosis plus concurrent mood episodes.

What causes dizziness? Causes include inner ear disorders, vestibular migraine, orthostatic hypotension, medications, and neurological conditions.

What is the Glasgow Coma Scale score for brain death? Brain death is typically confirmed by clinical examination showing no brainstem reflexes plus apnea, confirmed by formal testing.

What is the difference between bipolar I and bipolar II? Bipolar I has full manic episodes; bipolar II has hypomanic episodes and major depressive episodes, never full mania.

What is cognitive behavioral therapy? CBT is a evidence-based psychotherapy addressing maladaptive thoughts and behaviors, effective for depression, anxiety, and many other conditions.

Key Takeaways

Neurological and psychiatric terminology provides the specialized vocabulary for understanding the brain, nervous system, and mental health. Understanding CNS anatomy (brain regions, spinal cord) and PNS anatomy (cranial nerves, spinal nerves) helps patients appreciate neural structure. Recognizing neurophysiology (neurons, neurotransmitters, action potentials) helps patients appreciate how the nervous system works. Understanding stroke, epilepsy, dementia, and movement disorders helps patients comprehend neurological conditions. Recognizing depression, anxiety, psychosis, and other psychiatric disorders helps patients identify mental health conditions and seek appropriate care. Knowing neurological examination and diagnostic terminology (MRI, EEG, lumbar puncture) helps patients appreciate diagnostic testing. Dubai’s healthcare system offers comprehensive neurological and psychiatric services, and understanding this terminology empowers patients to participate actively in their brain and mental health care.

Related Glossary Terms

• Pathology Medical Terms - Understanding pathology suffixes
• Laboratory and Test Terminology - Understanding diagnostic tests
• Pharmacology and Medication Terminology - Drug-related terminology
• Cardiovascular Terminology - Heart and blood vessel terms

Schedule Your Neurological or Psychiatric Consultation in Dubai

Understanding neurological and psychiatric terminology helps you become a more informed participant in your brain and mental health care. At Healer’s Clinic Dubai, our team of experienced healthcare professionals is dedicated to helping you understand your neurological or psychiatric condition, manage brain health, and optimize mental wellbeing. Whether you need headache management, stroke prevention, epilepsy care, cognitive assessment, depression treatment, or comprehensive mental health support, our integrated approach combines conventional medicine with evidence-based complementary therapies to support your optimal neurological and psychiatric health and wellbeing.

Contact our friendly team today to schedule your appointment and experience healthcare that puts your understanding and comfort first.

Important Medical Disclaimer: This glossary is provided for educational purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for medical concerns. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department immediately.