Brain and Nervous System Terms

A substance being studied in the treatment of peripheral neuropathy (pain, numbness, tingling, burning, or weakness in the hands or feet) caused by chemotherapy.

The gap between a dose that sedates and one that stops breathing is narrow, which is why safer alternatives displaced this class.

A genetic condition that causes unusual facial features and disorders of the skin, bones, nervous system, eyes, and endocrine glands.

A substance produced in the brain, especially in the pituitary gland, that blocks the sensation of pain.

A seal built into the brain's blood vessels that keeps most of what circulates in the blood from reaching brain tissue.

Blood-brain barrier disruption is a technique that temporarily increases the barrier's permeability to allow greater passage of therapeutic substances into brain tissue.

A peptide (small protein) found in the brain, gastrointestinal tract, and lungs.

Everything the arm can do or feel passes through one braided tangle behind the collarbone, which is why damage there spreads so widely.

Cancer in the brain has far more often arrived from elsewhere than started there, and that origin decides how it is treated.

The brain stem connects the brain to the spinal cord and controls fundamental automatic functions including breathing, heart rate, and consciousness.

A tumor located in the part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord (the brain stem).

A tumor in the part of the brain that connects to the spinal cord (the brain stem).

Inside a closed skull, even a growth that never spreads anywhere can do harm simply by taking up room.

Bupivacaine is a long acting local anesthetic widely used for regional nerve blocks, epidurals, and pain control after surgery.

Capsaicin is the compound responsible for the heat of chili peppers, used topically to help manage certain types of localized pain.

A serious problem that may occur in cancer in which cancer cells spread from the original (primary) tumor to the meninges (thin layers of tissue that cover and protect the brain and spinal cord).

A rare, inherited disorder marked by dark spots on the skin and tumors in the heart, endocrine glands, skin, and nerves.

A rare, inherited disorder marked by dark spots on the skin and tumors in the heart, endocrine glands, skin, and nerves.

The chemical family behind the surge of a fright, named for a ring of carbon that every member shares.

Cancer that has spread from the original (primary) tumor to the central nervous system (CNS).