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akathisia
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psychomotor restlessness; an intense sensation of uneasiness or inner restlessness that usually involves the lower extremities and results in a compulsion to move
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alpha-synuclein
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neuronal protein that regulates synaptic vesicle coordination and subsequent neurotransmitter release
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anhidrosis
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lack of sweating due to decreased sweat glands
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ataxia
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impaired balance and coordination that can affect any part of the body and speech
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atrophy
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decrease in size or waste away, especially as a result of cellular degeneration
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autoimmune
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when the body's immune system cannot tell the difference between its own cells and foreign cells, the immune components mistakenly attack healthy body cells
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ballismus
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rapid, involuntary jerking or flinging of proximal muscle groups
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bradykinesia
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slowness of movement or progressive hesitations
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catecholamine
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monoamine neurotransmitters released in response to physical or emotional stress (e.g., epinephrine, dopamine)
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choreoathetosis
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slow, involuntary, writhing movements
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demyelination
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damage to the myelin sheath that results in slowing or stopping of nerve impulses, leading to neurological problems
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diplopia
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double vision—seeing two of the same image
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dysarthria
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difficulty with formulating words to speak
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dyskinesia
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abnormality or impairment of voluntary movement
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dysphagia
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difficulty swallowing
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dystonia
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movement disorder where muscles contract involuntarily, causing repetitive or twisting movements
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exacerbation
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increase in the severity of a disease or its signs and symptoms
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immunoglobulins
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glycoprotein molecules produced by B lymphocytes (plasma cells) that act as a critical part of the immune response by specifically recognizing and binding to particular antigens and aiding in their destruction
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Lhermitte sign
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transient electric shock sensation down the spine and extremities caused by neck flexion; most notably caused by MS
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lipoatrophy
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localized loss of adipose tissue
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lymphocyte
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type of white blood cell that plays an essential role in the immune response (B and T lymphocytes); made in the bone marrow and found in the blood and lymph tissue
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macrophages
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large, specialized connective tissue cells that recognize, engulf, and destroy target cells
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micrographia
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handwriting that is very small
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myelin sheath
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protective insulated covering surrounding nerve fibers in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves
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neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)
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a potentially life-threatening condition characterized by symptoms of confusion or altered mental states, muscle rigidity, hyperthermia, arrhythmias, and autonomic instability
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neuropathic pain
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pain that originates within the CNS or PNS resulting from damage or disease
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nystagmus
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involuntary oscillating eye movements that are usually rapid, repetitive, and uncontrolled
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oligodendrocytes
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type of non-neuronal cells in the CNS that do not produce electrical impulses; main functions are to provide support and insulation to axons in the CNS
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Parkinson’s disease (PD)
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a progressive neurologic condition that destroys the pigmented dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra
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plaques
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deposits of neuron fragments surrounding a core of fibrillary amyloid beta-protein
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progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML)
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opportunistic, life-threatening viral infection of the brain caused by the John Cunningham virus
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proliferating
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multiplying or increasing in number
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remissions
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decrease in or disappearance of signs and symptoms
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rigidity
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continuous involuntary sustained muscle contraction that when passively stretched, the degree of resistance remains constant
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tardive dyskinesia
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movement disorder characterized by uncontrollable, abnormal, and repetitive movements of the face, torso, and/or other body parts