Comprehensive Glossary of Neonatal Brain Injury Terms

Activities of Daily Living (ADL): Necessary day-to-day activities performed to maintain health and hygiene as well as maintain a household Ambulation: Walking; moving about

Apgar Score: A test given to newborn babies at one minute after birth and again at five minutes after birth to measure the physical condition of a newborn. The test measures heart rate, response to stimulation, respiratory effort, skin coloration and muscle tone. The top possible score is ten

Aphasia: A lack of the ability to express oneself and/or the inability to understand language due to brain damage

Apraxia: Inability to perform skilled movements, without sensory changes or paralysis being the cause of the condition
Arousal: Being awake/alert
Ataxia: Lack of muscle coordination due to a brain lesion. This condition can affect one’s ability to walk, talk, or eat
Atrophy: Loss of muscle mass, cells, organs, bodily tissue caused by a loss of nerve supply or a lack of nourishment
Attention: The ability to focus on a task for a set amount of time
Behavior: A person’s actions in response to a specific stimulus or situation
Blunt Force Trauma: A physical trauma causing injury which can occur during the birthing process and potentially result in neonatal brain injury
Brachial Plexus Disorder: A condition occurring when the upper extremity (arm) is harmed in childbirth. It can result in arm weakness, and an infant may lose the ability to use some connected muscles
Brain Stem: The portion of a person’s brain that is responsible for regulating lung and heart functions, like breathing and controlling the heart rate
Case Management (CM): The process through which medical providers determine appropriate care and treatment is rendered to patients
Cerebellum: The back area of the brain responsible for controlling movement
Cerebral Palsy: A condition in which there exists a loss of muscle function caused by a brain injury. It can occur any time before birth, during it, or after birth.
Cerebrum: The portion of the brain located in the front and is comprised of two hemispheres. It coordinates sensory functions as well as all voluntary motions of the body
Cognition: The process through which a person is aware of thoughts or perceptions, including understanding and reasoning
Coma: A state of complete unconsciousness
CT Scan: A collection of x-rays performed at the same time that reveal a person’s intracranial structures
Disinhibition: One’s inability to cease impulsive emotions and behavior
Dura: The outer membrane covering the brain and the spinal cord
Electroencephalogram (EEG): A test measuring electrical activity in the brain using electrodes fixed to the scalp
Erb's Palsy: A form of brachial plexus usually occurring as a result of a birth injury. Typically presents with weakness or even paralysis in the upper arm
Frontal Lobe: A portion located in the front of the brain that is responsible for high-level cognitive functions and an individual’s personality, along with planning and problem-solving abilities
Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS): A system used to measure the extent of brain damage and the severity of a brain injury
Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS): A system in place measuring outcomes of individuals who suffered head injuries
Hemiparesis: Weakness presenting on just one side of the body
Hypothermia Treatment: A brain cooling treatment that halts the cellular process of a developing brain injury and can reduce the severity of the brain injury
Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy: A brain injury that is caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain
Kernicterus: A rare form of brain damage that occurs when bilirubin is present in high levels and spreads to brain tissue and causes severe jaundice
Klumpke’s Palsy: A brachial plexus injury occurring when the 8th cervical and 1st thoracic nerves are injured before or after the nerves have joined which cause paralysis
Medical Malpractice: Occurs when a doctor or health care provider is negligent in providing care or treatment and results in a cause of action that the injured party can bring in the civil court system
Memory: The process of perceiving, storing, and retrieving events occurring in one’s life
Meningitis: Occurs when a viral or bacterial infection spreads to the brain and spinal fluid, inflaming these areas and can cause brain trauma to infants
Motor: Having to do with movement
MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging that is a diagnostic tool for detecting the presence of various conditions
Neonatal Brain Damage: A condition with many different causes including infections, maternal preeclampsia, and trauma
Occipital Lobe: The portion of the brain responsible for processing visual information
Occupational Therapist (OT): A health care professional who works to improve the lives of those with brain injuries by helping navigate day-to-day activities necessary for daily living
Parietal Lobe: Injury to either parietal lobe can cause lasting brain damage. Damage to the right parietal lobe can cause a loss of visual-spatial abilities, while injury to the left parietal lobe can result in the ability to understand language
Perception: One’s ability to understand what they feel, see, hear, smell, or taste
Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL): A form of brain damage during which white matter of the brain is damaged, resulting in the death of cells which leave empty spaces in the brain. This is commonly linked to the development of cerebral palsy
Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn: A birth injury resulting from a lack of proper blood circulation that can lead to brain injury
Preeclampsia: A complication of pregnancy caused by a mother’s high blood pressure, which can affect the delivery process and cause complications leading to the potential for brain trauma
Range of Motion (ROM): The complete potential of movement of a joint
Seizure: An event that occurs due to abnormal activity in the brain. Infants may experience seizures as a result of brain injury at birth
Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy (SDR): An operation performed on individuals with cerebral palsy which can improve muscle stiffness
Sensation: The experience of activated sensory organs resulting in the ability to feel, see, hear, taste or smell
Shoulder Dystocia: A condition occurring during labor when after the head of the baby has been delivered, the shoulder cannot pass through the end of the birth canal to allow the baby to emerge fully
Social Worker (SW): An expert who can help assist individuals and families dealing with brain injury to find support and treatment services
Speech and Language Pathologist (SLP): A health care professional who can help evaluate individuals and can help treat problems with language and hearing, among other things
Stroke: An event occurring when the blood supply to the brain is cut off for some reason, causing the individual to experience paralysis or brain damage which can be permanent
Temporal Lobes: The temporal lobes consist of both the left and right temporal lobes. The left temporal lobe regulates verbal memory while the right temporal lobe regulates visual memory
Umbilical Cord Knot: A knot can occur in the umbilical cord that can affect the delivery of the baby and result in complications. If the umbilical cord is wrapped around the baby’s neck, it could result in a lack of oxygen, causing brain damage