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:
U fibres
Short U-shaped white matter tracts that lie just beneath the cerebral cortex and connect adjacent gyri
Ultrasound
Scanning technique which involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Can help to diagnose a variety of conditions and to assess organ damage following illness
Uncal herniation
Displacement of the uncus of the temporal lobe and the hippocampal gyrus towards the midline and over the lateral edge of the tentorium due to an expanding lesion in the lateral middle cranial fossa or temporal lobe; earliest consistent sign is an ipsilateral dilating pupil due to compression of the ipsilateral third cranial nerve
Uncus
Most anterior part of the parahippocampal gyrus
Upper motor neuron
1st order neurons that remain in the CNS and synapse with lower motor neurons; lesions result in spasticity
Urge incontinence
A sudden urgent desire to pass urine and inability to put off going to the toilet. Sometimes called an unstable or overactive bladder
Urologist
Medical specialist who concentrates on the urinary tract; kidneys