Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

neurological
Having to do with the nerves or the
nervous system as, for example, a neurological
exam.
neurologist
A physician who specializes in the
diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nervous
system.
neurology
The medical specialty concerned with
the diagnosis and treatment of disorders of the nerv-
ous system, which includes the brain, the spinal
cord, and the nerves.
neuroma
A benign tumor that arises from a
nerve as, for example, an acoustic glioma or optic
glioma.
neuroma, acoustic
A benign tumor of the hear-
ing and balance nerves near the inner ear. Aside
from hearing and balance, these tumors can
impinge on the facial nerve, causing facial paralysis,
and press on nearby brain structures and be life-
threatening. Acoustic neuromas may be removed by
surgery or shrunk by radiosurgery. Bilateral
acoustic neuromas are associated with neurofibro-
matosis type 2 (NF2).
neuron
A nerve cell that receives and sends elec-
trical signals over long distances within the body. A
neuron receives electrical input signals from sen-
sory cells (called sensory neurons) and from other
neuritis
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neurons. The neuron sends electrical output signals
to muscle neurons (called motoneurons or motor
neurons) and to other neurons. A neuron that sim-
ply signals another neuron is called an interneuron.
neuron-specific enolase test
A test for an
enzyme that has been detected in the blood of
patients with certain tumors, including neuroblas-
tomas, small-cell lung cancers, and other tumors.
Abbreviated NSE test. Measurement of NSE levels as
a tumor marker in patients with these types of
tumors can provide information about the extent of
the disease and the patient’s prognosis and
response to treatment.