Glossary

Author: Glossary

  • Jacksonian epilepsy

    A type of grand mal epilepsy that typically begins with abnormal clonic movements of the thumb and forefinger, the angle of the mouth, or the big toe and spreads to include the rest of the limb and finally the other side of the body. At this point, consciousness is usually lost. Recurrent episodes of convulsive…

  • Epileptic equivalent

    Episodic, sensory, or motor phenomena that a person with epilepsy may experience instead of convulsive seizures.  

  • Epigenetics

    The study of the factors that cause development. Modifications in the expression of genes that do not involve a change in the base sequence of that gene. This occurs, for example, through the methylation of DNA. The science of how the activity of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, which is the fundamental genetic material of cells) can…

  • Epigenesis

    Originally from the greek epi (on, upon, on top of) and genesis (origin); the theory that the embryo develops progressively by stages, forming structures that were not originally present in the ovum or the sperm. The concept has been extended to other areas of medicine, with somewhat different meanings. Some of the other meanings are…

  • Epidemiology

    In psychiatry, the study of the incidence, distribution, prevalence, and control of mental disorders in a given population. Common terms in epidemiology are: a) Endemic: Native to or restricted to a particular area. b) Epidemic: The outbreak of a disorder that affects significant numbers of persons in a given population at any time. c) Pandemic:…

  • Epidemiologic catchment area (ECA) study

    This study was initiated in response to the 1977 report of the president’s commission on mental health. The purpose was to collect data on the prevalence and incidence of mental disorders and on the use of, and need for, services by the mentally ill. Research teams at five universities (yale university, johns hopkins university, washington…

  • Epidemic hysteria

    Also called mass psychogenic illness; the development of symptoms in a group of persons in response to a stimulus in a closed environment, such as the development of breathing difficulties in students after exposure to nontoxic fumes at their school.  

  • Entomophobia

    The fear of insects.  

  • Entitlement

    The right or claim to something. In health law, the term entitlement programs refers to legislatively defined rights to health care, such as medicare and medicaid programs. In psychodynamic psychiatry, entitlement usually refers to an unreasonable expectation or unfounded claim. An example is a person with narcissistic personality disorder who feels deserving of preferred status…

  • Entacapone

    An inhibitor of catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) used as an adjunct to carbidopa-levodopa therapy in the treatment of parkinson’s disease for patients who experience the signs and symptoms of end-of-dose “wearing-off.” Entacapone primarily inhibits the peripheral metabolism of levodopa by COMT, allowing greater and more sustained levels of levodopa to penetrate the brain, where it can be…