La belle indifference: This is a symptom of conversion disorder. It's what happens when a person shows utter unconcern about whatever symptoms they've got, regardless of how scary things get.
Homonymous hemianopsia: I still get tangled up halfway through this one. It's a complex, yet quick way of saying that a person has lost the same field of vision in both eyes.
Prader-Willi Syndrome: My personal definition of hell. It's a spectrum of disorders caused by a deletion or doubling on chromosome 15, resulting in a person's never, ever, ever feeling like they've had enough to eat. There are related problems (including a lack of muscle mass and sometimes mild mental retardation), but the feeling of overwhelming and constant hunger is the hallmark of Prader-Willi.
Glioblastoma multiforme: Look in the dictionary under Do Not Want and you'll find this particular brain tumor. It's the most common, most lethal, and least-treatable brain tumor out there.
Hemiasomatognosia: aka "neglect". A person who's had a stroke or other brain injury forgets about half of their body. In severe cases, they lose all concept of one side of the universe, so that "left" or "right" no longer exists.
Apneustic breathing: It happens when you get a bonk or a tumor in your lower pons (v. important part of brain): you breathe in deeply, pause, breathe out...(wait about a minute)...repeat.
Astasia-abasia: A person tries to walk, lurches around, weaves, and finally falls over--but only falls when there's something soft to land on.
Flocculonodular lobe: It's a part of your cerebellum. I learned this term once and have never used it again.
Aphonia: The inability to speak.
Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome: Yeah, this one's easy to pronounce, but I included it just because I love the name. Unfortunately for people with Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome, the condition isn't as fun as its moniker: it's a problem of venous malformation in which the person ends up with extremely painful, constantly-bleeding lesions all over the inside and outside of the body.
Oligodendroglioma: A brain tumor that arises from the cells that insulate the electrical wiring of your brain.
Aaaaand that's it! Everybody okay? Good! Unbuckle your seat belts. You may now return to your normal life with some fun bits of knowledge that will serve you well at the next party you go to.
