1. CHAPTER 12:
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Marcos Herbas

2. Exercise 12H: Suffixes
- Phasia - Plegia

3. - Phasia
Definition:
a combining form used in the names of speech
disorders, as specified by the initial element
(prefix)

4. - Phasia
Origin:
Greek, combining form akin to phánai to speak

5. - Phasia
Examples containing this suffix:
 Aphasia – lack of speech
 Dysphasia – difficult speech
 Acataphasia - a physical disorder in which a lesion to
the central nervous system leaves a person unable to
correctly formulate a statement or to express oneself in
an organized manner.

6. - Phasia
Examples containing this suffix:
 Agitophasia - abnormally rapid speech in which words
are imperfectly spoken or dropped out of a sentence;
also agitolalia.
 Allophasia - Incoherent speech

7. - Phasia
Example of its use in Nervous System:
This suffix is used to describe conditions affecting speech.
The root cause of may differ from case to case, for most
people however, these are areas on the left hemisphere
of the brain.
-phasia usually occurs suddenly, often as the result of a
stroke or head injury, but it may also develop slowly, as
in the case of a brain tumor, an infection, or dementia.
The disorder impairs the expression and understanding
of language as well as reading and writing.

8. - Phasia
Example of its use in Nervous System:
Temporal Lobe damage – may result in fluent aphasia,
also known as Wernicke’s aphasia.
Frontal Lobe damage – results in non-fluent aphasia, also
known as Broca’s aphasia
Global aphasia - results from damage to extensive portions
of the language areas of the brain.

9. - Plegia
Definition:
a combining form meaning paralysis, cessation
of motion, in the limbs or region of the
body specified by the initial element (prefix)

10. - Plegia
Origin:
Greek -
plēgia, combining form representing plēgḗ bl
ow, stroke

11. - Plegia
Examples containing this suffix:
 Monoplegia – paralysis of one limb
 Cycloplegia – paralysis of the ciliary muscle of the eye
 Diplegia – affecting the same body region on both sides
of the body (i.e. both sides of the face or both arms)
 Quadriplegia – paralysis of four limbs
 Paraplegic – affecting both legs and the trunk

12. - Plegia
Example of its use in Nervous System:
The chain of nerve cells that runs from the brain through the
spinal cord out to the muscle is called the motor pathway.
When this pathway is damaged at any point, it causes a
reduction in the brains ability to control the muscles’
movements.
Complete loss of communication results in a complete loss of
control  Paralysys

13. - Plegia
Example of its use in Nervous System:
Some common causes for nerve damage in the brain are:
 stroke
 tumor
 trauma (caused by a fall or a blow)
 Multiple sclerosis
 cerebral palsy - defect or injury to the brain that occurs at or
shortly after birth
 metabolic disorder - interferes with the body's ability to
maintain itself

14. - Plegia
Example of its use in Nervous System:
Some common causes for nerve damage in the spine
are:
 tumor
 herniated disk (also called a ruptured or slipped
disk)
 spondylosis (a disease that causes stiffness in the
joints of the spine)
 rheumatoid arthritis of the spine