Neural arch Health Dictionary

Weakness in the muscles that support the bony arches of the foot. The result is ?at feet, a condition that can adversely affect a person’s ability to walk and run normally.... fallen arches

The structure in the EMBRYO from which the BRAIN and SPINAL CORD develop.... neural tube

Congenital abnormalities resulting from the failure of the NEURAL TUBE to form normally. The resulting conditions include SPINA BIFIDA, MENINGOCELE and defects in the bones of the SKULL.... neural tube defects

The arch of bone, commonly known as the cheek bone, on either side of the skull just below the eye socket. The zygomatic arch is formed of the zygomatic and temporal bones.... zygomatic arch

Linn. var. himalaica (C. B. Clarke) Krishna and Badhwar

Family: Umbelliferae; Apiaceae.

Habitat: Native to Syria; now grown in Kashmir at 1,000-3,900 m.

Ayurvedic: Chandaa, Chandaam- shuka, Kathachoraa.

Action: Expectorant, carminative, digestant, cholagogue, antispas- modic, diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, smooth muscle relaxant, antifungal, antibacterial.

Key application: In flatulence and peptic discomforts. The root is a component in numerous gastrointestinal, cholagogue and biliary remedies in Germany. (Angelica root is an approved herb, whereas the seed and above-ground parts have been included among unapproved herbs by German Commission E.)

Chinese angelica root, Dong Quai, is equated with Angelica sinensis. It is prescribed internally for menstrual irregularity, lack of menstruation and painful menstruation.

The roots from Kashmir yield furo- coumarins, phenol compounds and flavonoids.

Xanthotoxol exhibited antihista- mintic and antinicotinic activities on guinea-pig ileum. The dry extract has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity

The root is reported to inhibit bacterial and fungal growth.

Furocoumarins, especially psoralen and 8-methoxypsoralen, are used in the photochemotherapy of psoriasis and vitiligo. The biological activity is due to covalent linkage formed with DNA by irradiation with long- wavelength UV light.

Most of the coumarins have shown significant calcium antagonistic activity in vitro.

Angelicin, a resin, is stimulating to the lungs and skin. contraindicated in bleeding disorders, peptic ulcers and pregnancy. (Sharon M. Herr.)

Dosage: Root—1-3 g powder. (CCRAS.)... angelica archangelica

The use of digital imaging systems to replace conventional X-ray pictures and other imaging techniques. Though expensive to operate, digital imaging and storage systems o?er promising possibilities for transmission of clinical images within and between hospitals and community health-care units, providing fast access and remote working that will bene?t patients and health-care sta? alike. When security and con?dentiality are assured, images could be transferred via the Internet and teleradiology. In future, hospitals might be able to eliminate the costly physical transfer and storage of X-ray ?lms. The integration of PACS with hospital information systems in the NHS will (hopefully) facilitate the introduction of electronic radiology.... picture archiving and communications system (pacs)

A developmental failure affecting the spinal cord or brain of the embryo. The most serious defect is anencephaly (total lack of a brain), which is fatal. More common is spina bifida, in which the vertebrae do not form a complete ring around the spinal cord. Spina bifida can occur anywhere on the spine, but it is most common in the lower back.

There are different forms of spina bifida. In spina bifida occulta, the only defect is a failure of the fusion of the bony arches behind the spinal cord, which may not cause any problems. When the bone defect is more extensive, there may be a meningocele, a protrusion of the meninges, or a myelomeningocele, a malformation of the spinal cord. Myelomeningocele is likely to cause severe handicap, with paralysis of the legs, loss of sensation in the lower body, hydrocephalus, and paralysis of the anus and bladder, causing incontinence. Associated problems include cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and mental handicap.

Surgery is usually performed a few days after birth. In mild cases, the defect can usually be corrected, but in myelomeningocele, some handicap will remain.

Genetic factors play a part in neural tube defects, which show multifactorial inheritance. Couples who have had an affected child or who have a family history of neural tube defects should seek genetic counselling. The risk of a neural tube defect occurring can be substantially reduced if the mother takes folic acid supplements for a month before conception and during the early part of the pregnancy.

Ultrasound scanning and amniocentesis allow accurate antenatal testing for neural tube defects.... neural tube defect

that part of the aorta that extends from the ascending aorta, upward over the heart and then backward and down as far as the fourth thoracic vertebra. *Stretch receptors in its outer wall monitor blood pressure and form part of the system maintaining this at a constant level.... aortic arch

(arche-, archi-, archo-) combining form denoting first; primitive; ancestral. Example: archinephron (first-formed embryonic kidney).... arch

n. a cavity that forms in the very early embryo as the result of gastrulation (see gastrula). In humans it forms a tubular cavity, the archenteric canal, which connects the amniotic cavity with the yolk sac. —archenteric adj.... archenteron

n. (in Jungian psychology) an inherited idea or mode of thought supposed to be present in the *unconscious mind and to derive from the experience of the whole human race (the collective unconscious), not from the life experience of the individual. Anima is the feminine component of a male’s personality; animus is the masculine component of a female’s personality.... archetype

n. the *hippocampal formation of the cerebrum. The term is seldom used.... archipallium

see pharyngeal arch.... branchial arch

the two bands of ectodermal tissue that flank the *neural plate of the early embryo. Cells of the neural crest migrate throughout the embryo and develop into sensory nerve cells and peripheral nerve cells of the autonomic nervous system.... neural crest

the strip of ectoderm lying along the central axis of the early embryo that forms the *neural tube and subsequently the central nervous system.... neural plate

the spinous process situated on the neural arch of a *vertebra.... neural spine

(branchial arch, visceral arch) any of the paired segmented ridges of tissue in each side of the throat of the early embryo that correspond to the gill arches of fish. Each arch contains a cartilage, a cranial nerve, and a blood vessel. Between each arch there is a *pharyngeal pouch.... pharyngeal arch

see PACS.... picture archiving and communication system

the arch in the sole of the foot formed by anastomosing branches of the plantar arteries.... plantar arch

see pharyngeal arch.... visceral arch