Medical terms - Letter N (page 5) | MedicalVocabulary.org

Nerve palsy, laryngeal

Paralysis of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a branch of the vagus nerve (a long and important nerve that originates in the brainstem and runs down to the colon). After the recurrent laryngeal nerve leaves the vagus…
Nerve pathways, visual

The optic nerves serving the eyes join behind the eyes just in front of the pituitary gland to form a cross-shaped structure called the optic chiasma. Within the optic chiasma some of the nerve fibers cross. The fibers…
Nerve, abducent

A small motor nerve that has one task: to supply a muscle called the lateral rectus muscle that moves the eye outward. Paralysis of the abducent nerve causes inward turning of the eye (internal strabismus) leading to…
Nerve, accessory

See: Accessory nerve
Nerve, afferent

A nerve that carries impulses toward the central nervous system (CNS). The opposite of an afferent nerve is an efferent nerve that carries impulses away from the CNS
Nerve, efferent

A nerve that carries impulses away from the central nervous system (CNS). An efferent nerve is the opposite of an afferent nerves that carries impulses toward the CNS
Nerve, eighth cranial

The eighth cranial nerve is the vestibulocochlear nerve. The vestibulocochlear nerve is responsible for the sense of hearing and it is also pertinent to balance, to the body position sense. Problems with the…
Nerve, eleventh cranial

The eleventh cranial nerve is the accessory nerve. The twelve cranial nerves, the accessory nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium) as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the vertebral…
Nerve, facial

The facial nerve is the seventh cranial nerve. It is a mixed nerve that has fibers both going out and coming in (both efferent and afferent fibers). It supplies the muscles of facial expression. Paralysis of the facial…
Nerve, fifth cranial

The fifth cranial nerve is the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is quite complex. It functions both as the chief nerve of sensation for the face and the motor nerve controlling the muscles of mastication…
Nerve, first cranial

The first cranial nerve is the olfactory nerve, the nerve that carries impulses for the sense of smell from the nose to the brain. The cranial nerves emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the…
Nerve, fourth cranial

The fourth cranial nerve, the trochlear nerve, is the nerve supply to the superior oblique muscle of the eye, one of the muscles that moves the eye. Paralysis of the trochlear nerve results in rotation of the eyeball…
Nerve, glossopharyngeal

The glossopharyngeal nerve is the ninth cranial nerve. The 12 cranial nerves, the glossopharyngeal nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the…
Nerve, hypoglossal

The hypoglossal nerve is the twelfth cranial nerve. The twelve cranial nerves, the hypoglossal nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the…
Nerve, ninth cranial

The ninth cranial nerve is the glossopharyngeal nerve. All 12 cranial nerves, the glossopharyngeal nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the…
Nerve, oculomotor

The oculomotor nerve is the third cranial nerve. (The cranial nerves emerge from or enter the cranium, the skull, as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the vertebral column). The oculomotor nerve is…
Nerve, olfactory

See: Olfactory nerve
Nerve, optic

The optic nerve connects the eye to the brain. The optic nerve carries the impulses formed by the retina. The retina is the nerve layer that lines the back of the eye that senses light and creates impulses. These…
Nerve, pinched

See: Nerve compression
Nerve, pressor

A pressor nerve is a nerve which, when stimulated, causes the blood pressure to rise. The word 'pressor' refers to raising the blood pressure. It comes from the French 'presser' meaning 'to exert pressure' or 'to…
Nerve, recurrent laryngeal

One of the best known branches of the vagus nerve, a very long nerve that originates in the brainstem. After the recurrent laryngeal nerve leaves the vagus nerve, it goes down into the chest and then loops back up…
Nerve, sciatic

The largest nerve in the body, the sciatic nerve begins from nerve roots in the lumbar part of the spinal cord (in the low back) and extends through the buttock area to send nerve endings down to the legs. Pain…
Nerve, second cranial

Also known as the optic nerve. This nerve connects the eye to the brain and carries the impulses formed by the back layer of the eye (retina) to the brain, which interprets them as images. The cranial nerves emerge from…
Nerve, seventh cranial

The seventh cranial nerve is the facial nerve, a mixed nerve that has fibers both going out and coming in (both efferent and afferent fibers). It supplies the muscles of facial expression. Paralysis of the facial nerve…
Nerve, sixth cranial

The sixth cranial nerve is the abducent nerve, a small motor nerve that has one task: to supply a muscle called the lateral rectus muscle that moves the eye outward. Paralysis of the abducent nerve causes inward turning…
Nerve, spinal

One of the nerves that originates in the spinal cord. There are 31 pairs of spinal nerves. They consist of the 8 cervical nerves, 12 thoracic nerves, 5 lumbar nerves, 5 sacral nerves, and 1 coccygeal nerve.
Nerve, tenth cranial

The tenth cranial nerve, and one of the most important, is the vagus nerve. All twelve of the cranial nerves, the vagus nerve included, emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which…
Nerve, third cranial

The third cranial nerve is the oculomotor nerve. The cranial nerves emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the vertebral column. There are twelve cranial nerves…
Nerve, trigeminal

This nerve functions both as the chief nerve of sensation for the face and as the motor nerve controlling the muscles of mastication (chewing). Problems with the sensory part of the trigeminal nerve result in pain or…
Nerve, trochlear

The trochlear nerve controls the superior oblique muscle of the eye, one of the extraocular muscles, the muscles that move the eye. Paralysis of the trochlear nerve results in rotation of the eyeball upward and outward…
Nerve, twelfth cranial

See: Twelfth cranial nerve
Nerve, vagus

A remarkable nerve that supplies nerve fibers to the pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), trachea (windpipe), lungs, heart, esophagus, and the intestinal tract as far as the transverse portion of the colon. The vagus…
Nerve, vestibulocochlear

A nerve that is responsible for the sense of hearing and which is also pertinent to balance, to the body position sense. Problems with the vestibulocochlear nerve may result in deafness, tinnitus (ringing or noise in…
Nerves, cranial

Nerves that emerge from or enter the skull (the cranium), as opposed to the spinal nerves which emerge from the vertebral column. Cranial nerves come directly from the brain through the skull. There are 12 cranial…
Nervine

A nerve tonic, a medicine that acts therapeutically upon the nerves, particularly in the sense of a sedative that serves to calm ruffled nerves. The word nervine comes from the Latin nervinus, belonging to a sinew…
Nervous colon syndrome

A common gastrointestinal disorder involving an abnormal condition of gut contractions (motility) characterized by abdominal pain, bloating, mucous in stools, and irregular bowel habits with alternating diarrhea and…
Nervous system, autonomic

Part of the nervous system that was once thought to be functionally independent of the brain. The autonomic nervous system regulates key functions of the body including the activity of the heart muscle (see below), the…
Nervous system, central (CNS)

That part of the nervous system that consists of the brain and spinal cord. The central nervous system (CNS) is one of the two major divisions of the nervous system. The other is the peripheral nervous system (PNS)…
Nervous system, human

The sum total of the tissues that record and distribute information within a person, and does so by electrical and chemical means. The nervous system has two distinct parts -- central and peripheral. The central part is…
Nervous system, parasympathetic

A part of the nervous system that slows the heart rate, increases intestinal and gland activity, and relaxes sphincter muscles. The parasympathetic nervous system together with the sympathetic nervous system (that…
Nervous system, peripheral (PNS)

That portion of the nervous system that is outside the brain and spinal cord. The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is one of the two major divisions of the nervous system. The other is the central nervous system (CNS)…
Nervous system, sympathetic

A part of the nervous system that accelerates the heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and raises blood pressure. The sympathetic nervous system together with the parasympathetic nervous system (that slows the heart…
Nervus ulnaris

See: Ulnar nerve
Neural

Having to do with nerve cells
Neural foramen

See: Intervertebral foramen
Neural tube defect

Pain along the course of a nerve.
Neuralgia

Pain along the course of a nerve
Neuralgia, ciliary

A distinctive syndrome of headaches, better known today as cluster headache. There are two main clinical patterns of cluster headache -- the episodic and the chronic: > >Episodic: This is the most common pattern of…
Neuralgia, facial

Severe pain, usually occurring in bursts, that emanates along the path of the trigeminal nerve. The trigeminal nerve is the chief sensory nerve of the face
Neuralgia, migrainous

A distinctive syndrome of headaches, today better known as cluster headache. There are two main clinical patterns of cluster headache -- the episodic and the chronic: > >Episodic: This is the most common pattern of…