Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

A pale-appearing spherical area in the brain. The paleostriatum is specifically part of what is called the lentiform nucleus which, in turn, is part of the striate body, a component of the basal ganglia, large masses of gray matter at the base of the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. Cells within the paleostriatum may be preferentially damaged and perish in…

The roof of the mouth. The front portion is bony (hard palate), and the back portion is muscular (soft palate).

Pain during urination, or difficulty urinating. Dysuria is usually caused by inflammation of the urethra, frequently as a result of infection.

A measurement of the intensity of pain.

The process of providing medical care that alleviates or reduces pain. Mild to moderate pain can usually be treated with analgesic medications, such as aspirin. For chronic or severe pain, opiates and other narcotics may be used, sometimes in concert with analgesics; with steroids or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs when the pain is related to inflammation; or with antidepressants,…

An unpleasant sensation that can range from mild, localized discomfort to agony. Pain has both physical and emotional components. The physical part of pain results from nerve stimulation. Pain may be contained to a discrete area, as in an injury, or it can be more diffuse, as in disorders like fibromyalgia. Pain is mediated by specific…

A chronic bone disorder that typically results in enlarged, deformed bones due to excessive breakdown and formation of bone tissue that can cause bones to weaken and may result in bone pain, arthritis, deformities or fractures. The disease is named for the great English surgeon and pathologist, Sir James Paget (1814-1899). Paget’s disease is rarely diagnosed in…

Thick skin, like that of a pachyderm (an elephant, rhinoceros, or hippopotamus). The adjective is pachydermatous. Pachyderma can occur in several medical conditions, such as chronic lymphedema. From the Greek pachydermos meaning “thick skin” from pachys meaning “thick” + derma meaning “skin.”

Thick. As in pachydactyly (thick fingers), pachydermatous (thick fingers) and pachyonychia (thick nails). From the Greek pachys, thick.

A system that sends electrical impulses to the heart in order to set the heart rhythm. The pacemaker can be the normal “natural” pacemaker of the heart or it can be an electronic device. The natural pacemaker of the heart is the sinus node, one of the major elements in the cardiac conduction system, the system that controls…