Brain Injury Terms and Definitions

Eye Birth Defect
Anophthalmia/microphthalmia, congenital cataracts, glaucoma

endorphins
Naturally occurring molecules made up of amino acids. Endorphins attach to special receptors in the brain and spinal cord to inhibit pain signals.

Orofacial Birth Defect
Choanal atresia, cleft lip, cleft palate

Non-system-specific Birth Defect
Amniotic band sequence

Muenke syndrome
The primary feature of this disease is prematurely fused skull bones along the coronal suture, the growth line which goes over the head from ear to ear. This can result in an abnormally shaped head, wide-set eyes, and flattened cheekbones.

CBDMP
California Birth Defects Monitoring Program

brain tumor
An abnormal growth of tissue in the brain

Parkinson's disease
A progressive degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain that helps control muscle movement.

brain
The part of the central nervous system inside the skull. Its functions include muscle control and coordination, sensory reception and integration, speech production, memory storage and the elaboration of thought and emotion.

Cardiovascular Birth Defect
Conotruncal heart defects, septal heart defects, obstructive heart defects, atrioventricular septal defects, single ventricle, anomalous pulmonary venous return, heterotaxy, Ebstein malformation.