Brain Injury Terms and Definitions

Eye Birth Defect
Anophthalmia/microphthalmia, congenital cataracts, glaucoma

amygdala
uh-MIG-duh-luh). A part of the brain that oversees emotions and triggers your response to danger.

CBDRP
Centers for Birth Defects Research & Prevention

Apert syndrome
Apert Syndrome is a genetic defect and falls under the broad classification of craniofacial/limb anomalies. It can be inherited from a parent who has Apert, or may be a fresh mutation. It occurs in approximately 1 per 160,000 to 200,000 live births. Apert syndrome is primarily characterized by specific malformations of the skull, midface, hands, and feet.

acetylcholine (ACH)
A chemical in the body that carries messages between the nerves and muscles; a neurotransmitter.

Bell's palsy
A weakness or paralysis of the muscles that control expression on one side of the face because of damage to a facial nerve.

Alexander disease
Alexander disease is considered one of the leukodystrophies, a group of disorders where the primary abnormality is the inability to maintain the fatty covering (myelin) that insulates nerve fibers in the brain. Alexander disease is a rare disorder of the nervous system that usually begins during infancy or early childhood.

Orofacial Birth Defect
Choanal atresia, cleft lip, cleft palate

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

stroke
A condition produced by a blood clot that lodges in an artery and blocks the flow of blood to a portion of the brain, producing symptoms ranging from paralysis of limbs and loss of speech to unconsciousness and death. Less commonly, a stroke may be the result of bleeding into the substance of the brain.