Neurological Glossary
Neurological terms are often complicated and difficult to understand. The following glossary defines a variety of terms to help you understand neurological terminology:
KAFO
Knee Ankle Foot Orthosis
Kernig's sign
Pain in the posterior aspect of the thigh in response to passive flexion of the thigh and extension of the knee; indicative of meningeal irritation
Kernohan's notch
Compression of the opposite cerebral peduncle against the edge of the tentorium contralateral to a herniating uncus; results in ipsilateral hemiparesis
Ketogenic diet
High-fat
Kinaesthesia
Loss of sense and understanding of where one's limbs are in space
Kindling
Process by which repeatedly applying subconvulsive stimulation either electrically or chemically permanently lowers the threshold for having seizures; used as an experimental model for epilepsy
Korsakoff syndrome
Chronic phase of thiamine deficiency characterized by impairment in establishing new memories and retrieving previous memories
Krabbe disease (globoid cell leukodystrophy)
Autosomal recessive disease arising in infancy with progressive motor and mental retardation and peripheral nerve dysfunction due to a deficiency in the enzyme galactocerebrosidase
Kuru
Fatal prion disease restricted to the Fore tribe in the highlands of New Guinea as a result of cannibalistic funeral practices; form of spongiform encephalopathy
Kyphosis
Usually a rounded upper back