Brain Injury Terms and Definitions

Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration
Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration (formerly called Hallervorden-Spatz syndrome) is a disorder of the nervous system. The condition is characterized by progressive difficulty with movement and speech

Eye Birth Defect
Anophthalmia/microphthalmia, congenital cataracts, glaucoma

cerebral palsy
A disorder caused by injury to the cerebral area of the brain that occurs before or during birth or in the first few months after birth. Damage to the cerebrum may cause paralysis (palsy) in one or more parts of the body.

closed head injury
An injury to the head or brain in which the skull remains intact.

aneurysm
The localized enlargement of a blood vessel, usually an artery, that forms a bulge or sac.

Canavan disease
Canavan disease is an inherited disorder of the central nervous system in which affected individuals cannot break down a compound called N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid (NAA). Canavan disease is one of a group of genetic disorders called the eukodystrophies.

trigeminal neuralgia
A painful condition caused by a disturbance in the function of the trigeminal nerve, which carries sensation from your face to your brain.

Alzheimer's disease
Severe form of dementia caused by significant deterioration of brain tissue.

NBDPS
National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Parkinson's disease
A progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain that helps control muscle movement.