Glossary

Posterior Communicating Artery – An artery that is part of the Circle of Willis at the base of the brain that provides a circulatory pathway between the Carotid Artery and the Posterior Cerebral Artery.

Polymerase chain reaction, a technique that uses a small sample of DNA and quickly makes millions to billions of copies thereby amplifying the initial sample to one large enough to study and identify.

Patent ductus arteriosus: The ductus arteriosus is a blood vessel connecting the pulmonary artery to the aorta normally present in a fetus.  Its purpose is to provide a circulatory by-pass of the lungs for the blood which are , allowing blood to bypass the lungs that are not yet functional in the womb. This by-pass normally closes at the time of birth since it is no longer needed but when this does not occur the resulting condition is termed a patent ductus arteriosus, abbreviated PDA.

Platelet derived growth factor – A potent mitogen for cells of mesenchymal origin, including smooth muscle cells and glial cells. it plays a significant role in blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) and the growth of blood vessels. This is a prominent feature in the growth of cancerous tumors.

Platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha. A gene responsible for producing a cell-surface receptor protein critical i regulating cell growth, division and survival. It’s dysfunction has been associated with cancers such as diffuse midline gliomas in children.

Peabody Developmental Motor Scale.  An assessment tool used on neonates and young children (through 5 years of age) that measures a child’s gross and fine motor skills.  The child’s scores for fine, gross and overall motor development can then be compared to normative data.

Peabody Developmental Measure Scales Edition 2.  An assessment tool used on neonates and young children (through 5 years of age) that measures a child’s gross and fine motor skills.  The child’s scores for fine, gross and overall motor development can then be compared to normative data.

Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory.  A validated testing tool used to evaluate functional abilities and performance in children ages 6 months to 7 years.  It has also been used in children older than seven years of age whose disabilities cause them to function below that expected for a normal seven-year-old child.

A outcome tool for measuring the neurologic deficit and functional impairment in children following a stroke.  It measures five domains (right sensorimotor, left sensorimotor, language production, language comprehension and, cognitive behavior.  Each of these domains is scored 0 (no deficit) to 2 (severe deficit) for a total score ranging from 0 to 10.