Medical Careers & Professional Terminology

neurologist: specialist in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disorders of the nervous system

neurology: study of nerves

neurosurgeon: surgeon who specializes in operations on the nervous system

psychiatrist: medical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

psychiatry: specialty of the mind

psychologist: nonmedical doctor who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders

Imaging Techniques/Diagnostic Procedures/Procedures for the Organ System

cerebral angiography: process of recording vessels in the cerebrum

CT myelography: process of recording the spinal cord with computed tomography

electroencephalogram: the record of electrical activity of the brain

electromyography: test that measures the electrical activity between the brain and spinal cord and the peripheral nerves innervating the skeletal muscles

lumbar puncture: procedure used to test cerebrospinal fluid

myelography: radiography of the spinal cord and nerve roots

tensilon test: test used to diagnose myasthenia gravis

Surgical Techniques/Procedures Used in the Organ System

craniotomy: removal of part of the skull to relieve pressure in the brain tissue

ganglionectomy: excision of a ganglion

lobotomy: incision into a lobe of the brain

neurectomy: excision of the nerves

neurotomy: incision into a nerve

neurolysis: dissolution of nerve (for pain management)

neuroplasty: surgery to repair a nerve

neurorrhaphy: suturing of a nerve

rhizotomy: incision into a nerve root

Abbreviations Commonly Used with the Organ System

AD: Alzheimer’s disease

ADHD: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

ALS: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

CNS: central nervous system

CP: cerebral palsy

CSF: cerebrospinal fluid

CTE: chronic traumatic encephalopathy

CVA: cerebrovascular accident

EEG: electroencephalogram

EMG: electromyography

EP studies: evoked potential studies

LP: lumbar puncture

MRI: magnetic resonance imaging

MS: multiple sclerosis

OCD: obsessive-compulsive disorder

PD: Parkinson’s disease

PET: positron emission tomography

PNS: peripheral nervous system

PTSD: post-traumatic stress disorder

SAH: subarachnoid hemorrhage

TIA: transient ischemic attack

Medical Terms Practice

For each card, click the speaker icon to hear the correct pronunciation of the listed term. Practice saying the term to yourself, then attempt to define the term from memory. Click “Turn” to flip the card and see the definition. Use the right and left arrows to toggle through the cards in each set.