Glossary
Plain-English meanings for the words you'll hear in rehab. Search or jump by letter.
A
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ADLs
activities of daily livingEveryday self-care tasks - washing, dressing, eating, moving around. Regaining ADLs is a central goal of rehabilitation.
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Anomia
word-finding difficulty, tip-of-the-tongueTrouble retrieving words you know - the word is 'on the tip of your tongue'. Very common in aphasia; describing the word often helps unlock it.
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Aphasia
dysphasiaA language problem - speaking, understanding, reading, or writing - usually after a stroke or brain injury. It affects language, not intelligence.
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Apraxia of speech
verbal apraxia, AOSDifficulty planning the movements for speech, so sounds come out inconsistently even though the muscles themselves are strong.
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Ataxia
Loss of smooth, coordinated movement - clumsy or unsteady walking, reaching, or speech - often from damage to the cerebellum.
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Autonomic dysreflexia
A dangerous, sudden rise in blood pressure in people with higher-level spinal cord injuries, often triggered by a full bladder or bowel. It's a medical emergency.
C
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Cerebral palsy (CP)
CPA group of lifelong conditions affecting movement and posture, caused by a difference in the developing brain. The brain difference itself doesn't worsen over time.
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Cognition
The brain's thinking processes - attention, memory, language, reasoning, and planning. 'Cognitive rehab' works on these skills.
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Cognitive reserve
The brain's ability to improvise and use alternative networks under strain - built up by education, activity, and connection. More reserve means better coping with ageing or injury.
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Contracture
A muscle or joint that has become permanently tight and hard to move, often after long-term stiffness (spasticity). Prevention with positioning and movement matters.
D
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Dysarthria
Slurred or effortful speech caused by weak or poorly controlled speech muscles. The words are chosen correctly; producing them is the problem.
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Dysphagia
swallowing difficultyTrouble swallowing safely, which can lead to coughing, choking, or food going into the lungs. Managed with texture changes and safe-swallow techniques.
E
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Epilepsy
A tendency to have recurring seizures - brief bursts of unusual electrical activity in the brain. Most people control it well with medication.
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Executive function
The brain's 'management' skills - planning, starting tasks, switching, and self-control. Often affected after frontal-lobe injury.
F
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Foot drop
Difficulty lifting the front of the foot, so the toes catch when walking. Often helped by exercises, a brace (AFO), or electrical stimulation.
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Freezing of gait
A sudden, brief feeling that the feet are 'stuck to the floor', common in Parkinson's. Rhythm and visual cues can help you get moving.
H
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Haemorrhagic stroke
brain bleedA stroke caused by a burst blood vessel bleeding into or around the brain. Less common than ischaemic stroke but often more severe.
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Hemianopia
visual field lossLoss of one half of the field of vision in each eye, often after a stroke. People learn to scan toward the missing side.
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Hemiparesis
hemiplegia (when complete)Weakness (hemiparesis) or paralysis (hemiplegia) of one side of the body, typically the arm and leg on the side opposite the brain injury.
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Hemispatial neglect
inattention, neglectNot noticing one side of space (often the left) even though the eyes work fine - the brain isn't attending to it. Different from hemianopia.
I
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Ischaemic stroke
clot strokeThe most common type of stroke: a clot blocks a blood vessel, cutting off blood flow to part of the brain.
M
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Multiple sclerosis (MS)
MSA condition where the immune system damages the protective coating (myelin) around nerves in the brain and spinal cord, slowing or scrambling their signals.
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Myelin
The fatty insulation around nerve fibres that lets electrical signals travel fast. When it's damaged (as in MS), messages slow down.
N
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Neuroplasticity
The brain's ability to reorganise and form new connections with practice. It is the reason rehabilitation works - and it continues throughout life.
P
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Proprioception
position senseYour sense of where your body is without looking. When it is affected, movement and balance feel less reliable.
R
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rTMS
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulationA clinic-based treatment that uses magnetic pulses to nudge brain activity. Unlike magnet bracelets, it has real evidence as an add-on therapy.
S
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Seizure
fit, convulsionA sudden burst of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. It can look like shaking, staring, confusion, or unusual movements - not always 'falling and shaking'.
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Spasticity
Muscle stiffness and tightness from changes in how the injured brain controls muscles. Stretching, positioning, and sometimes medication help.
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Spatial neglect
hemispatial neglect, unilateral neglectAfter a stroke, not noticing one side of space (often the left) - a person may miss food on one side of the plate or bump into things on that side.
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Spinal cord injury (SCI)
SCI, paraplegia, tetraplegiaDamage to the spinal cord that interrupts messages between the brain and body below the injury. Effects depend on the level and completeness of the injury.
T
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TIA
mini-stroke, transient ischaemic attackStroke symptoms that resolve within minutes to hours because the blockage clears. It is a serious warning sign - always treat it as an emergency.
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