Ma'anar ƙamus na “mataccen ƙwaƙwalwa” yawanci yana nufin yanayin likita wanda mutum ya sami lahani da ba zai iya jurewa ba a cikin kwakwalwarsa, wanda ke haifar da asarar aikin kwakwalwa gabaki ɗaya kuma ba za a iya jurewa ba. Sau da yawa ana gano wannan yanayin ta hanyar gwaje-gwaje daban-daban kuma ana iya haifar da shi ta hanyoyi daban-daban, ciki har da rauni, cuta, ko rashin iskar oxygen zuwa kwakwalwa. A wasu lokuta, ana iya bayyana mutum kwakwalwar ta mutu ko da zuciyarsa na ci gaba da bugawa, saboda babu bege na farfadowa ko fahimtar ma'ana. Ana amfani da kalmar “mace ta mutu” da baki don kwatanta wani wanda da alama ba shi da hankali ko wayewa, kodayake wannan amfani ba daidai ba ne a fasahance.