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:
Warfarin
The most frequently used oral anticoagulant (for thinning the blood and preventing clots forming inside the circulation).
Wallenberg syndrome
Is a neurological condition caused by a stroke in the vertebral or posterior inferior cerebellar artery of the brainstem. Symptoms include difficulties with swallowing
Wallerian degeneration
Stereotyped degenerative reaction of axons and Schwann cells distal to a site of mechanical damage; occurs simultaneously in many of the axons in a fascicle
Watershed infarct
Infarct occurring in brain tissue that receives blood supply from the distal portions of two major arteries; generally a result of global hypoperfusion
Weber Syndrome
Ipsilateral oculomotor palsy and contralateral hemiplegia due to ventral midbrain lesion affecting the III nerve fascicles and cerebral peduncle
Wernicke's aphasia
Damage to the Wernicke's area in the brain which impacts on language comprehension and the production of meaningful language.
Wernicke's encephalopathy
Syndrome of confusion/short-term memory loss
West's syndrome
Epilepsy syndrome characterized by infantile spasms
White matter
Part of the CNS that contains axons