Author: Glossary

A sympathomimetic amine that acts by displacing stored transmitter from adrenergic axonal terminals. Tyramine is a constituent of many foods, such as green beans, cheese, and red wine, and the amine is normally degraded by monoamine oxidase enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract when these foods are ingested. Patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs) must restrict…

(D stands for “distressed.”) Term used in psychosomatic medicine to refer to a joint tendency toward negative affectivity (e.g., worry, irritability, pessimism) and social inhibition (e.g., reticence, lack of self-confidence). Research indicates that presence of type D personality may predict a worse prognosis for cardiac patients.  

A temperament characterized by a relaxed, easygoing demeanor; less time-bound and competitive than the type a personality. A person who is relaxed, patient, noncompetitive, and who has lower risk of coronary heart disease than those with type A personality. Type B personality (and/or Type B behavior) is the opposite of Type A personality. Type Bs…

A temperament characterized by excessive drive, competitiveness, a sense of time urgency, impatience, unrealistic ambition, and need for control. Believed to be associated with a high incidence of coronary artery disease. A predisposition to some diseases, e.g., coronary heart disease. Type A personality (and/or Type A emotional behavior) is described as competitive, ambitious, driven, impatient,…

A powerful method of investigating the relative degree of phenotypic variance that can be attributed to genetic factors and to transmissible and nontransmissible environmental factors. For example, behavioral variations occurring in monozygotic twins are compared with those occurring in nontwin siblings or dizygotic twins.  

A therapeutic process that uses 12 steps to combat alcohol or substance abuse, pathological gambling, and paraphilias. Twelve-step programs are usually run by laypeople rather than professionals. General term for program used by any of a number of fellowships (e.g.. Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous) for self-development and mutual assistance; the program consists of…

A chromosomal defect in women with a 45,x karyotype (45 chromosomes rather than 46). Clinical features include short stature, webbed neck, abnormal ovarian development, infertility, specific social and cognitive deficits such as nonverbal learning disabilities, and sometimes intellectual disability. A genetic abnormality affecting females in which one of the sex-determining pair of chromosomes is missing,…

The presence of three chromosomes instead of the two that normally represent each potential set of chromosomes. This can result in a developmental disability. An example of trisomy is down syndrome, in which three number 21 chromosomes are present. The condition of having three of a certain chromosome instead of just two. One or more…

The fear of number 13. An irrational fear of the number thirteen.