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Aphasia |
Loss of the ability to express oneself and/or to understand
language. It is caused by damage to brain cells rather than
deficits in speech or hearing organs |
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Apraxia/dyspraxia |
The inability to carry out purposeful movement in the absence of
motor dysfunction. |
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Ataxia |
A
problem of muscle co-ordination not due to apraxia, weakness,
rigidity, spasticity, or sensory loss. It is caused by lesion
of the cerebellum or basal ganglia. This problem can interfere
with a person’s ability to walk, talk, eat, and perform other
self-care tasks |
Aneurysm
|
A balloon-like swelling in the wall
of the artery, due to disease or congenital deficiency. |
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Brain Stem
|
A bundle of nerve tissues
below the main hemisphere at the top of the spinal cord.
Controls bodily functions such as consciousness, wakefulness and
breathing. |
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Cerebellum
|
A lump of tissue
behind the brain stem regulating fine motor movements. |
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Cerebral
Palsy
Definition from
www.scope.org.uk |
A
disorder of movement and posture due to a non-progressive defect
or lesion to the immature brain |
|
CFS/ME |
Chronic
fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as myalgic
encephalomyelitis (ME), post-viral fatigue
syndrome (PVFS) and various other names, is a
syndrome of unknown and possibly multiple
etiology, affecting the
central nervous system (CNS),
immune, and many other systems and organs
(abridged). |
|
Clinical (neuro) Psychologist
|
Can help with problems to do with how you feel, how you think
and how you get along with others. You may see a clinical
psychologist if you feel low or anxious, are forgetful, tend to
be disorganized or if you are irritable or short tempered with
other people |
|
Closed head
injury
|
Head
injuries may be closed or open. A closed (non-missile) head
injury is one in which the skull is not broken. Brain injuries
may be
diffuse, occurring over a wide area, or focal, located in a
small, specific area. (Abridged) |
|
Cognitive (ablilties)
|
The
ability to use and integrate basic capacities such as
perception, language, memory and thought. |
|
Coma |
A
state of unconsciousness from which the client cannot be
aroused, even by powerful stimulation. It may last from a few
seconds to a few months or longer. Generally, the longer the
coma, the more sever the injury and less favourable the
outcome. People begin to emerge from their coma when they open
their eyes, speak, or begin to obey commands |
|
Confabulation |
Verbalisations about people, places, events with no basis in
reality. The client appears to “fill in” gaps in memory with
plausible facts. |
|
Contre-Coup |
Injury to brain tissue on the side opposite the initial injury
or point of impact |
|
CT Scan |
Computed
tomography (CT), originally known as computed axial
tomography (CAT) and body section roentgenography, is
a
medical imaging method employing
tomography where
digital geometry processing is used to generate a
three-dimensional image
of the internals of an object from a large series of
two-dimensional
X-ray
images taken around a single axis of rotation
(abridged) |
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Dietician
|
Provides advice and support about food and nutrition, advice
about diabetes, support regarding tube feeding or information
about healthy eating and other food related problems |
|
Dysarthria |
Difficulty in forming or speaking words because of weakness of
muscles used in speaking. Speech is characterized by slurred,
imprecise articulation. Tongue movements are usually labored
and the rate of speaking may be very slow. Voice quality may be
abnormal and is usually excessively nasal, volume may be weak,
and drooling may occur. Dysarthria may accompany aphasia or
occur independently. |
|
Dyslexia
Definition from
www.bdadyslexia.org.uk |
Dyslexia is a
combination of abilities and difficulties
that affect the learning process in one or
more of reading, spelling and writing. It is
a persistent condition. (Abridged)
|
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Dysphagia |
Difficulty
in swallowing. |
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Electroencephalogram (EEG) |
A
procedure that uses electrodes on the scalp to record electrical
activity of the brain. It is used for detection of epilepsy,
coma, and death |
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Friedrich’s
Ataxia
Definition from
www.ninds.nih.gov |
Friedreich's ataxia is an
inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous
system resulting in symptoms ranging from muscle weakness and
speech problems to heart disease |
|
Frontal Lobe
|
Contributes
to judgment, reasoning, personality, motivation and inhibition
of behaviours. |
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Glasgow Coma
Scale (Jennett and Teasdale 1974) |
A
standardised system used to assess the degree of brain
impairment and to identify the seriousness of the injury in
relation to outcome. The system involves three
determinants: eye opening, verbal responses, and motor
responses. These are scored together. Clients are
considered to have experienced a mild brain injury when their
score is 13-15. A score of 9-12 is considered to reflect a
moderate brain injury , and a score of 8 or less reflects a
severe brain injury. |
|
Graduate Rehabilitation Assistant
|
Provides support to the Clinicians by continuing treatment
plans, running groups and working one to one with clients. |
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Haematoma |
The collection of blood in tissues or a pace following rupture
of a blood vessel |
|
Haemorrhage |
The escape of blood from a ruptured vessel, externally or
internally |
|
Hemiparesis |
Weakness of one side of the body, generally resulting from a
brain injury contra-lateral to the weak side |
|
Huntingdon’s
Disease
Definition from www.hda.org.uk |
Huntington's disease, which
is often called HD, is an hereditary disorder of the central
nervous system. It used to be known as Huntington's Chorea or
HC. |
|
Hydrocephalus |
Enlargement of fluid-filled cavities in the brain, not due to
brain atrophy. This is often associated with excessive amount
of cerebral spinal fluids (CSF) |
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Ischemia |
Ischemia
can be described as an inadequate flow of blood to a part
of the body, caused by constriction or blockage of the blood
vessels supplying it (abridged) |
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|
Lobe |
There are four lobes on each side of
the brain. Frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital. |
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Magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) |
Similar to a CT scan,
but uses magnetic fields to produce a picture of brain tissue.
MRIs are more sensitive than CT scans or X-rays for detecting
many structural brain abnormalities |
|
Motor
Neurone Disease (MND)
Definition from
www.ninds.nih.gov |
The motor neuron diseases (MNDs)
are a group of progressive neurological disorders that destroy
cells that control essential muscle activity such as speaking,
walking, breathing, and swallowing. |
|
Multiple
Sclerosis (MS)
Definition from
www.mssociety.org.uk
|
MS is the result of damage
to myelin - a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the
central nervous system. When myelin is damaged, this interferes
with messages between the brain and other parts of the body.
|
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Neuropathy |
Neuropathy is a
disease of the peripheral
nervous system |
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Occipital
Lobe |
The centre
for processing information from the eyes also known as the
visual cortex |
|
Occupational
Therapist |
Can help individuals who are finding daily activities difficult
to manage physically or mentally. They provide programmes to
help people gain as much independence as possible, making meals,
carrying out leisure activities or accessing the workplace. |
|
Open head
injury |
Open head injury, is a head
injury in which the
dura mater, the outer layer of the
meninges, is breached. Penetrating injury can be caused by
fragments from a skull fracture that are driven into the brain. Head injuries
caused by penetrating trauma are serious
medical emergencies.
(abridged) |
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Parietal
Lobe |
Interprets
sensations from the skin, muscles, joints and tendons. |
|
Parkinson’s
Disease
Definition from
www.parkinsons.org.uk |
|
Parkinson's is a progressive
neurological condition affecting
movements such as walking, talking,
and writing. Parkinson's
occurs as result of a loss of nerve
cells in the part of the brain known
as the substantia nigra. These cells
are responsible for producing a
chemical known as dopamine, which
allows messages to be sent to the
parts of the brain that co-ordinate
movement.
|
|
|
Physiotherapist
|
Physiotherapists
provide hands on treatment which includes an assessment of a
persons current situation. Other activities and treatment
modalities may be explored to maximise potential in all aspects
of health. |
|
Post Concussion Syndrome |
The term given to a group of symptoms
that may result following a head injury. These may
include: headache, dizziness, poor memory, impoverished
concentration, anxiety. |
|
Post
traumatic amnesia |
A
period of confusion following brain trauma. The person is awake
but unable to recall what happened a few hours or even minutes
ago. Individuals with this form of amnesia are confused and
disoriented about the day, time, where they are, and sometimes
who they are. |
|
Pragmatics
|
Pragmatics is
concerned with bridging the explanatory gap
between sentence meaning and speaker’s meaning.
The study of how
context influences the interpretation is
then crucial. Pragmatics is a sub domain of
general
linguistics.
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Rehabilitation |
The process of helping a person to achieve his or her maximum
functional potential. The rehabilitation process can speed up
the natural healing process and teach the individual new
strategies to deal with the environment. It used to be standard
opinion that recovery stopped after the first 6-12 months;
however, recent research has shown continued recovery for years
post-injury. This research is resulting in a shift toward a
more optimistic view about longer term recovery |
|
Retrograde
amnesia |
A
period of memory loss for events that occurred before a brain
injury. After brain injury, people almost never remember the
accident or events immediately preceding it. This can be a
problem if memory loss extends back for longer periods of time.
On occasion, it can extend back for years. |
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Skull
Fracture |
A
skull fracture is a break in one or more of the bones in
the
skull caused by a
head injury. Isolated skull fractures are not very serious
injuries, but usually the presence of a skull fracture indicates
that significant enough impact occurred to cause
brain injury, which is quite serious.
(abridged) |
|
Specialist Supported Living Officer
|
Works with other agencies to develop new accommodation schemes
for people with brain injury. Also monitors special
placements outside of Shropshire. |
|
Speech & Language Therapist
|
Can help overcome the problems that may restrict people in
communicating. This includes problems in speaking,
understanding, reading and writing. Assessments of
swallowing difficulties are also carried out and support
provided |
|
Stroke
Definition from
www.stroke.org.uk |
A stroke is what happens when the
blood supply to part
of the brain is cut off.
Blood carries essential
nutrients and oxygen
to the brain. Without a blood supply,
brain cells can be
damaged or destroyed
and won’t be able to do their job.
|
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Temporal
Lobe
|
Interprets
the senses of hearing, taste and smell. It receives and
interprets sounds as words and has a role in committing
information to memory. |
|
Therapy Assistant |
Therapy Assistants assist the clinicians with therapy goals
with clients. |
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Ventricles |
Four natural cavities in the brain that are filled with
cerebrospinal fluid. The outline of one of more of these
cavities may change with a space-occupying lesion (haemorrhage,
tumour) has developed in a lobe of the brain. |
