Author: Glossary

The gene responsible for encoding NRG1, a protein known to be involved in the development of the nervous system. NRG1 is currently one of the most studied candidate genes for schizophrenia. Altered expression of the NRG1 gene has been found in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in schizophrenia, and it has been proposed that NRG1 might…

A treatment modality designed to allow the therapist to treat addictive disorders in the ambulatory setting. Family members and friends are enlisted to provide ongoing support.  

A nonmedical, nonspecific euphemism for a mental disorder. Pertaining to lowered integration and the inability to deal adequately with one’s life situation. Colloquial term for a mental condition that disrupts normal functioning. A non-medical description of a variety of emotional crises, ranging from an outburst of hysterical behaviour to a major neurotic illness that may…

A common idiom of distress among Latinos in the United States and Latin America. A number of other ethnic groups have related, though often somewhat distinctive, ideas of “nerves” (such as nevra among Greeks and nervi among Italians). Nervios refers both to a general state of vulnerability to stressful life experiences and to a syndrome…

The most recently evolved part of the corpus striatum, consisting of the caudate nucleus and putamen. The caudate nucleus and the putamen considered together.  

In psychiatry, a new word or condensed combination of several words coined by a person to express a highly complex idea not readily understood by others; seen in schizophrenia, dementia and organic mental disorders. A word coined by a patient who is in psychotherapy. In psychiatry, invention of a new word that has meaning only…

The part of the cerebral cortex involved in higher functions such as sensory perception, generation of motor commands, spatial reasoning, conscious thought, and language. The highest center of intelligence in the brain. The nonolfactory portion of the cerebral cortex. It is composed of six layers of neurons and nerve fibers having a similar distribution pattern.…

The result of lesions of the right parietal lobe that leave a patient inattentive to stimuli to the left side of the body after a stroke or an accident. It sometimes occurs after similar damage to the left hemisphere but much less frequently and in milder form. The patient appears to behave as if the…

Opposition or resistance, either covert or overt, to the suggestions or advice of others. May be seen in schizophrenia. A defense mechanism. The attitude of a person who opposes advice or instructions. Pattern of behavior characterized by opposition, resistance to suggestion, unwillingness to cooperate, and a tendency to act m a contrary way; it may…

In freudian theory, resistance to change in psychoanalytic therapy. The worsening of symptoms in response to the therapist’s effort to foster insight. The patient’s neurotic behavior increases after first improving with therapy, and he or she gets worse instead of improving as would be expected. Because such a reaction seemed to defy the pleasure principle,…