RESOURCES: Glossary
Definitions: C
Capacity, Mental: Refers to the amount of information or mental processing a person can attend to within a given time.
Cerebral Angiography: A medical test involving injection of dye into an artery so that the vascular system of the brain can be studied through an x-ray; can detect aneurysms, tumors, or circulation problems.
Cerebral Compression: The brain substance is pushed aside and compressed by the presence of a brain tumor, aneurysm, swelling or hematoma.
Cerebral Infarct: When the blood supply is reduced below a critical level to a specific region of the brain and the brain tissue in that region dies.
Cerebral-spinal Fluid (CSF): Liquid which fills the ventricles of the brain and surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
Chest Tubes: A tube that is inserted in to the lung, or between the lung and the thoracic cavity, to allow fluid or air to drain.
Clonus: A sustained series of involuntary rhythmic contractions of a muscle following stretch of that muscle.
Cognition: The conscious process of knowing or being aware of thoughts or perceptions, including understanding and reasoning.
Cognitive Impairment: Difficulty with one or more of the basic functions of the brain: perception, memory, attentional abilities, and reasoning skills.
Cognitive Rehabilitation: Rehabilitation programs designed to assess a persons brain behaviour deficits and develop a treatment program to assist them in managing/compensating for their specific problems of perception, memory, thinking and problem solving.
Coma: A state of unconsciousness from which the patient cannot be awakened or aroused, even by powerful stimulation.
Compensatory Strategies: This term is defined relative to the so called 'sound or unaffected side or part' of the body. Compensation is an attempt to regain balance by the sound side/part of the body's activity by using righting reactions. It is a response to a deviation from normal reciprocal innervation resulting in an increase of tone/hyperactivity on the sound side of the body. This increase in tone can range from minimal to moderate, where moderate hyperactivity is when compensation becomes the main problem. Compensation is an indication of increased effort, decreased efficiency and it denies selectivity both on the sound and affected side.
Confabulation: Verbalizations about people, places, and events with no basis in reality. May be a detailed account delivered.
Continent: Voluntary control over the functions of urination and bowel movements.
Contracture: Loss of range of motion in a joint due to abnormal shortening of soft tissues.
Contralateral: Opposite side.
Contusion, Brain: Bruising of brain tissue.
Cortical Blindness: Loss of vision resulting from a lesion of the primary visual areas of the occipital lobe. Light reflex is preserved.
Definitions: D
Decerebrate Posture (Decerebrate Rigidity): Exaggerated posture of extension as a result of a lesion to the brain stem.
Decorticate Posture (Decorticate Rigidity): Exaggerated posture of upper extremity flexion and lower extremity extension as a result of a lesion to the mesencephalon or above.
Decubitus (Pressure Sore): Skin breakdown as a result of unrelieved pressure, commonly found over the ischial tuberosities, sacrum, coccyx, heels, ankle and elbows.
Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT): A blood clot in a deep vein. Most commonly occurring in the calf.
Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI): A shearing injury of large nerve fibers ( axons covered with myelin) in many areas of the brain. It appears to be one of the two primary lesions of brain injury, the other being stretching or shearing of blood vessels from the same forces, producing hemorrhage.
Diffuse Brain Injury: Injury to cells in many areas of the brain rather than in one specific location.
Diplegia: Paralysis of corresponding parts on both sides of the body, such as both legs.
Diplopia: Seeing two images of a single object; double vision.
Disinhibition: Inability to suppress (inhibit) impulsive behavior and emotions.
Disorientation: Inability to recount where you are, who you are, or the current date.
Dysarthria: Difficulty in forming words or speaking them because of weakness of muscles used in speaking or because of disruption in the neuromotor stimulus patterns required for accuracy and velocity of speech.
Dysmetria: Inability to stop a movement at the desired point.
Dysphagia: Inability to swallow due to difficulty in oral preparation for the swallow, including problems in positioning food in the mouth.