Author: Glossary
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Ativan
Brand name for the benzodiazepine anxiolytic drug lorazepam. A commercial preparation of lorazepam.
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Athetosis
A muscular disorder characterized by irregular, twisting, slow movements of the toes and fingers. It results from a lesion in the extrapyramidal pathways. A recurring, involuntary, tentacle-like movement of the hands and feet, usually associated with brain pathology. Repeated slow movements of the limbs, caused by a brain disorder such as cerebral palsy. Athetosis is…
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Ataraxia
A lucid state characterized by freedom from worry. Mental calm and tranquility. A state of relative indifference to stressful situations, induced by antipsychotic medications. The state of being calm and not worrying. A state of calmness and freedom from anxiety, especially the slate produced by tranquilizing drugs. A state of complete mental calm and tranquility,…
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Atarax
An antihistamine medication sometimes used to treat mild anxiety or to promote sleep, especially in children. A brand name for hydroxyzine.
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Ataque de nervios
A culture-specific syndrome characterized by screaming uncontrollably, crying, trembling, and verbal or physical aggression. Dissociative experiences, seizure-like or fainting episodes, and suicidal gestures are also prominent in some ataques. It is principally reported among latinos from the caribbean but is also recognized among many latin american and latin mediterranean groups. Ataque de nervios is a…
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Asterixis
A tremor of the wrist when the wrist is extended (dorsiflexion), sometimes said to resemble a bird flapping its wings. Asterixis is seen most often in drowsy or stuporous patients with metabolic encephalopathies, especially in decompensated cirrhosis or acute hepatic failure. It can also be a feature of Wilson’s disease. Involuntary, jerking muscular movements. Gross,…
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Astereognosis
From the Greek “without knowledge of solids,” the inability to recognize objects by touching them even though the sense of touch is intact. This condition is caused by damage to the parietal Lobe of the brain. If the damage is in the right parietal lobe, a person with astereognosis cannot identify objects with his or…
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Association
Relationship between ideas and emotions by contiguity, continuity, or similarity. In epidemiology as one variable changes, there is a change in the quality or quantity of another variable. In epidemiology, the general name of a relationship between two variables. Two related variables, such as age and the incidence of diabetes, are said to be ‘associated.’…
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Assimilation
A term coined by the French development psychologist Jean Piaget (1896-1980); it describes a person’s ability to comprehend and integrate new experiences. The term is also used to describe the process that occurs when a minority person adopts the majority culture. The formation of “self” cellular material from small molecules derived from food. In education,…
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Assessment
The evaluation of patient that leads to diagnosis and treatment. The act of measuring or determining the level of an attribute; such as hearing, vision, achievement. The evaluation of a patient that leads to diagnosis and treatment. In insurance, a charge upon carriers to raise funds for a specific purpose (such as meeting the administrative…