Brain Injury Terms and Definitions

Eye Birth Defect
Anophthalmia/microphthalmia, congenital cataracts, glaucoma

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.

Gastrointestinal Birth Defect
Esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula, intestinal atresia, biliary atresia

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

Orofacial Birth Defect
Choanal atresia, cleft lip, cleft palate

Jackson-Weiss syndrome
Many of the characteristic facial features of Jackson-Weiss syndrome result from the premature fusion of the skull bones. The head is unable to grow normally, which can lead to a misshapen skull, widely spaced eyes, and a bulging forehead. Foot abnormalities are the most consistent characteristic, as not all individuals with Jackson-Weiss syndrome have abnormal skull or facial features.

hypothalamus
The part of the brain that controls body functions such as eating, sleeping and sexual behavior, maintains body temperature and chemical balance, and regulates many hormones.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, ALS causes degeneration of the nerve cells in certain regions of the brain and spinal cord that control the muscles.

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.

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