Glossary

Autonomic nervous system

The part of the nervous system that regulates automatic functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and temperature.

Dysautonomia

A broad term for conditions in which autonomic control is impaired or inefficient, including patterns like POTS.

Functional medicine

A systems-based approach that looks at nutrition, metabolism, gut, immune, hormone and sleep factors behind symptoms. Here it is used alongside neurological rehabilitation when relevant, or on its own, and always alongside your physicians.

POTS

Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome: excessive heart-rate rise on standing with chronic orthostatic intolerance symptoms, diagnosed by clinicians using established criteria.

Vestibular system

The inner-ear organs and brain pathways that sense head motion and help maintain balance and spatial orientation.

PPPD

Persistent postural-perceptual dizziness: a chronic vestibular disorder with defined criteria, often involving dizziness worsened by upright posture, movement and complex visual environments.

Oculomotor

Relating to eye movements — tracking, jumping between targets, near focusing teamwork and stability during head motion.

Neuroplasticity

The nervous system's ability to change its structure and function through experience and well-dosed practice.

Dual-task

Performing a thinking task and a movement or balance task at the same time — closer to real life than either alone.

Vestibular migraine

Recurrent vestibular symptoms in a person with migraine features, described by consensus diagnostic criteria.

Sub-symptom threshold exercise

Physical activity kept below the level that meaningfully provokes concussion-related symptoms, used in some guided recovery protocols.

Orthostatic

Related to moving to an upright posture; orthostatic symptoms appear or worsen with sitting or standing.

Sensorimotor

The integration of sensory input and motor output — how the brain uses information to guide movement and stability.

Definitions are educational. They are not diagnostic criteria and do not replace advice from your clinicians.

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