Neurology Care Center

C

calcaneus

Heel bone, the largest bone in the foot

calcifications

Hard, dense, stonelike material that forms in numerous areas throughout the body, including arteries (plaque), veins (phleboliths), kidneys (stones), and gallbladder (gallstones)

calcium-channel blockers

Drugs that limit calcium entry into the cells and stimulate contraction

canal of Schlemm

Part of the vascular structure that returns aqueous humor to circulation

candidiasis

Infection of the skin, mucous membranes, and sometimes internal organs with the yeast Candida

cardiac catheterization

Diagnostic procedure using a flexible tube, or catheter, that is passed into the heart through a vein or an artery in order to withdraw samples of blood, measure pressures within the heart chambers or vessels, and inject x-ray contrast materials to view the heart

cardiac transplantation

Replacement of a damaged or diseased heart with a healthy heart from a donor who has died of other causes

carotid arteries

Paired (right and left) arteries that arise from the aorta or branch of the thoracic aorta; external carotid arteries in the neck supply blood to structures in the face, internal carotid arteries supply blood to much of the front of the brain

cartilage

Type of connective tissue found on the ends of bones, which protects and cushions them, and absorbs the forces transmitted throughout the body; living tissue without a direct blood supply

CAT scan (computerized axial tomography)

Specialized x-ray examination that is often used to visualize the brain and spinal structures, chest, abdomen, and pelvis

cataplexy

Sudden loss of postural tone, often resulting in complete collapse; common in narcolepsy or intense emotional response

central nervous system

The brain and the spinal cord

cerebral aneurysm

Weakness in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain

cerebrospinal fluid

Fluid that surrounds the brain and the spinal cord

Cerebrovascular disease

Disorders of the blood vessels that supply the brain

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Progressive debilitating neuromuscular disorder; also hereditary motor sensory neuropathy and peroneal muscular atrophy

circle of Willis

Circle of arteries at the base of the brain that is fed by the two paired internal carotid arteries and the two paired vertebral arteries

clonus

Increase in involuntary muscle tone and subsequent movement that results in spasm

cluster headache

One-sided severe pain around the eye that usually occurs at night; associated with nasal stuffiness and tearing of the eye

coma

State of unconsciousness, with the eyes closed

computerized axial tomography

See CAT scan

cones

Photoreceptor cells that are responsible for color vision and seeing fine detail

conscious sedation

Medication that allows a patient to sustain what could be an unpleasant experience by producing "grogginess" and often complete amnesia of the event

coronary angiography

X-ray imaging of the coronary arteries through a catheter

corticospinal tract

Nervous system structures that begin in the brain and travel to the motor neuron cell to innervate the motor nerves

corticosteroids

Group of anti-inflammatory drugs similar to natural hormones produced by the cortex of the adrenal glands

CT KUB

Computerized tomography of the abdomen and pelvis in which no oral or intravenous dyes are used, which is often used to detect conditions such as acute appendicitis, renal or ureteral stones, and diverticulitis

CT scan

See CAT scan

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