Brain Injury Terms and Definitions

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.

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

BDPM
Birth Defects Monitoring Program

neural tube defect
A structure in early fetal life that develops into the brain, spinal cord, spinal nerves and spine.

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.

Guillain-Barre (ge-YAH buh-RA) syndrome
An inflammatory disorder in which the body's immune system attacks the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerves) and, more rarely, parts of the brain itself.

Crouzonodermoskeletal syndrome
Crouzonodermoskeletal syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by the remature joining of certain bones of the skull (craniosynostosis) and a skin disorder called acanthosis nigricans.

CBDMP
California Birth Defects Monitoring Program

brain tumor
An abnormal growth of tissue in the brain

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