Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
bulbar

bulbar

1 9.9
Relating to the lower part of the brainstem called the medulla oblongata
  • adjective
  • /ˈbʌl.bər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : bulbar
  • Another point of concern to the editorialist and correspondents was whether the small treatment and control groups of patients with bulbar onset disease were evenly matched.

Examples

  • Research indicates that bulbar involvement can lead to significant communication challenges.

  • In the meantime, urethral milking (or bulbar urethral massage) may help.

    Academic text (2012)

  • The five individuals with bulbar ALS who had dysarthria ranging from mild to profound in perceived severity had only 38% of the tongue strength of the normal control participants but 58% of the repetition rate for /t?/ .

    Academic text (2012)

  • The doctor explained that bulbar issues can affect breathing and swallowing.

  • Patients with bulbar symptoms may experience difficulty in speaking clearly.

Synonyms

medullary
vsbulbar
  • Specialized
9.9

Connected with the lower part of the brainstem that controls breathing and heart rate

means the same but is an alternative term used in medical contexts

Compounds

bulbar conjunctiva
  • Specialized
9.9

A thin layer that covers the white of the eye and the clear front surface

Surface Forms

bulbar positive

Morphology

bulbar = bulb (opaque) = bulb + ar

The adjective is formed by the regular suffix '-ar' on 'bulb', so the morphological relation is clear, but the specific anatomical sense is specialized.

Etymology

The word bulbar comes from bulb, from Latin bulbus meaning 'onion' or 'bulb'. Doctors used the word 'bulb' for the rounded lower part of the brainstem because it looks like a bulb or an onion, so bulbar means 'relating to that bulb'.