Dictionary

brachial vein A vein that accompanies the brachial artery between the shoulder and the elbow. The route of the brachial vein is from the elbow up to the shoulder. See also brachial artery.

brachy- Prefix indicating short, as in brachycephaly (short head) and brachydactyly (short fingers and toes).

brachycephaly A condition in which the head is unusually short in diameter from front to back. Brachycephaly is frequently a feature in congenital malformation syndromes, including Down syndrome (trisomy 21).

brachydactyly A condition in which the fingers and toes are short and stubby. Brachydactyly is a common finding in malformation sydromes, such as Down syndrome (trisomy 21).

brachytherapy Radiation treatment given by placing radioactive material directly in or near the target, which is often a tumor. Brachytherapy for prostate cancer, for example, is also called interstitial radiation therapy or seed implantation. In brachytherapy for prostate cancer, radioactive seeds are implanted in the prostate. The seeds might be titanium-encased pellets that contain the…

brady- Prefix indicating slow, as in bradycardia (slow heart rate), bradykinesia (slow movement), and bradyphrenia (slow thought processes).

bradycardia A slow heart rate, usually defined as less than 60 beats per minute.

bradykinesia Slow movement. Bradykinesia is often associated with an impaired ability to adjust the body’s position. Bradykinesia can be a symptom of nervous system disorders, particularly Parkinson’s disease, or a side effect of medications.

bradyphrenia A slow thought process. Bradyphrenia can be a side effect of certain psychiatric medications.

bradypnea Abnormally slow breathing. A respiratory rate that is too slow. The normal rate of respirations (breaths per minute) depends on a number of factors, including the age of the individual and the degree of exertion.

Braille A system of raised-dot writing for the blind in which each letter is represented as a raised pattern that can be read by touching it with the fingers. In Braille, dot patterns are assigned to letters of the alphabet, punctuation marks, and other symbols. Braille was devised by Louis Braille.

brain The portion of the central nervous system that is located within the skull. It functions as a primary receiver, organizer, and distributor of information for the body. It has a right half and a left half, each of which is called a hemisphere.