Neuroscience Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
cerebrospinal fluid CSF
Clear fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, providing cushioning and nutrient transport.
oculomotor apraxia
Inability to initiate voluntary eye movements on command despite intact reflexive eye movements.
oligodendroglioma
A type of brain tumor arising from oligodendrocytes, cells that produce myelin in the central nervous system.
optic ataxia
Inability to accurately reach for visually guided targets despite normal vision and motor function.
palinopsia
Persistence or recurrence of visual images after the stimulus has been removed from view.
papilledema
Swelling of the optic disc caused by increased intracranial pressure.
penumbra
The area of brain tissue surrounding an ischemic core that remains viable but at risk following stroke.
periventricular leukomalacia
White matter brain injury in premature infants characterized by necrosis around the ventricles. Often abbreviated as PVL...
petit mal
Outdated term for absence seizures, characterized by brief episodes of impaired consciousness.
phonagnosia
Inability to recognize familiar voices despite normal hearing, indicating right hemisphere damage.
phonemic paraphasia
A type of speech error involving substitution of incorrect sounds or syllables within words due to language processing d...
postictal
The recovery period immediately following a seizure, characterized by confusion and altered consciousness.
proprioception
The sense of body position and movement in space, often impaired in neurological conditions.
prosopagnosia
A neurological condition characterized by inability to recognize faces, including familiar individuals, despite normal v...
pseudobulbar palsy
Upper motor neuron dysfunction affecting cranial nerves controlling speech, swallowing, and facial expression.
reduplicative paramnesia
Delusion that familiar places have been duplicated and exist in multiple locations simultaneously.
simultagnosia
Inability to perceive multiple objects simultaneously, seeing only one object at a time despite normal vision.
somnolence
Abnormal drowsiness or excessive sleepiness that may indicate neurological dysfunction.
SPECT
Single photon emission computed tomography, a nuclear imaging technique used to assess brain function and blood flow.
status epilepticus
Prolonged seizure activity lasting more than five minutes or recurrent seizures without return to baseline.
stereognosis
The ability to identify objects through touch without visual input, testing parietal lobe function.
stereotactic
A surgical technique using three-dimensional coordinate systems to precisely locate and target specific brain structures...
stereotactic radiosurgery
Precisely targeted high-dose radiation therapy using stereotactic guidance for brain lesions.
tau protein
Microtubule-associated protein that forms pathological aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases.
tonic-clonic seizure
Type of generalized seizure characterized by muscle stiffening followed by rhythmic jerking movements.