Medical Terms

Aneurysm
A bulge in the wall of an artery. One of the causes of a leaking artery.

Aphasia
Inability to use language. It can be a problem of understanding language (receptive Aphasia) or producing language (expressive Aphasia). The term 'Aphasia' tends to be used interchangeably with 'Dysphasia'.

Apraxia
Inability to perform tasks that require remembering patterns or sequences of movements, i.e. the movements need to talk. There is no paralysis of the muscles.

Computed Tomography (CT)
The X-ray technique most commonly used to examine the brain.

Dementia
A long-term (chronic) state of confusion, which can result from, for example, multiple strokes or Alzheimer's disease.

Dysarthria
Difficulty in speaking caused by weakness of the muscles around the mouth - slurred speech.

Dyslexia
Difficulty reading.

Dysphagia
Difficulty in swallowing.

Dysphonia
Difficulty in speaking loudly (or softly) enough.

Dyspraxia
Difficulty in co-ordinating or performing certain movements or gestures.

Haematoma
Blood clot that has formed outside a blood vessel (artery or vein).

Haemorrhage
Where a blood vessel leaks, allowing blood to escape into the tissues.

Hemianopia
Loss of one-half of the normal field of vision.

Hemiparesis
Weakness of one-half of the body.

Hemiplegia
Complete paralysis of half of the body.

Infarct
An area of cell death (e.g. part of the brain) as a result of being deprived of its blood supply.

Magnetic Resonance Angiography (MRA)
Using a large, powerful magnet, rather than X-rays, to create pictures of the blood vessels (arteries and veins).

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
A type of scan that, instead of X-rays, uses a large, powerful magnet to create an image (picture) of part of the body.

Subarachnoid Haemorrhage
Bleeding between the brain and one of the covering membranes, often due to a leaking aneurysm.

Transient Ischaemic Attack (TIA)
A stroke that recovers fully within 24 hours of the start of symptoms.