Author: Glossary

In dsm-iv-tr, this category includes tourette’s disorder, chronic motor or vocal tic disorder, transient tic disorder, and tic disorder not otherwise specified; all but the last type begin before age 18 years. Chronic tics may occur many times a day, nearly every day, or intermittently over a period of more than a year. Transient tics…

A disturbance of speech, communication, or content of thought, such as delusions, ideas of reference, poverty of thought, flight of ideas, perseveration, and loosening of associations. Thought disorder is often used synonymously with the term psychosis. A symptom of schizophrenia, characterized by incoherence, loose associations, and distortion of concrete reasoning. Abnormal thinking that is pathological,…

Brand name (now discontinued) for chlorpromazine. Chlorpromazine, one of the phenothiazines, an antipsychotic drug.  

Any organization (public or private) that pays or insures health or medical expenses on behalf of beneficiaries or recipients. Examples are medicare, medicaid, blue cross, blue shield, and other commercial insurance companies. A payment service other than the patient or provider. Any organization, public or private, that pays or insures health or medical expenses on…

The clinician’s use of intuition, sensitivity, and awareness of subliminal cues to interpret clinical observations of patients in therapy.  

A subgroup of conventional antipsychotic drugs that includes thiothixene.  

A conventional antipsychotic medication (a thioxanthene) used in the treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Marketed under the brand name navane. An antipsychotic drug. Navane is the commercial preparation.  

An older conventional antipsychotic medication (a phenothiazine of the piperidine class) that is infrequently prescribed today because of its association with increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias and retinitis pigmentosa at higher doses. Now available only as generic but may still be known by the discontinued brand name mellaril. An antipsychotic drug. Mellaril is the commercial…

A well-defined range of blood levels or medication dosage ranges associated with optimal clinical response to antidepressant medications. Levels above or below that range are associated with diminished therapeutic response. The range of drug concentrations in the body that will promote optimal beneficial effects. Drug concentrations less than the lower end of this range will be…

A term of British origin, now widely used, for a specially structured mental hospital milieu that encourages patients to function within the range of social norms. A residential treatment approach to those with drug abuse or other addiction problems consisting of group therapy, educational sessions, medical services, etc. A residential treatment center where drug abusers…