vasospasm

[vas-oh-spaz-uhm, vey-zoh-]

noun

1. sudden constriction of an artery, leading to a decrease in its diameter and in the amount of blood it can deliver.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vasospasm¹

First recorded in 1900–05; vaso- + spasm

Example Sentences

For example, coronary vasospasm, a condition in which the arteries feeding the heart quite literally spasm and prevent the heart muscle from getting oxygen, often happens early in the morning.

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Watching the reaction to the medications can reveal whether the patient has significant degrees of blood-vessel restriction, or what’s known as vasospasm.

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She clearly had severe vasospasm, which was most likely causing the pain and the heart attacks, Bairey Merz told her.

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A second paper from Parker's group, published last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggests that the same integrin-signaling mechanism may contribute to vasospasm, another harmful process associated with TBI.

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Vasospasm typically results after a blow to the head causes bleeding in the space between the brain and the thin tissues that surround it.

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