Author: Glossary

An atypical stimulant (the r-enantiomer [a stereoisomer] of modafinil) indicated for promoting wakefulness in patients with excessive daytime sleepiness associated with obstructive sleep apnea; narcolepsy; and circadian rhythm sleep disorder, shift work type. Marketed under the brand name nuvigil.  

An atypical antipsychotic medication indicated for the treatment of schizophrenia, acute manic and mixed episodes of bipolar disorder, irritability associated with autistic disorder, and agitation associated with schizophrenia or bipolar mania. Aripiprazole is also used as an adjunctive treatment in major depressive disorder. Marketed under the brand name abilify.  

Brand name for the acetylcholinesterase inhibitor drug donepezil. Aricept is a brand name for the medication donepezil, which is classified as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor. It is commonly prescribed to manage symptoms associated with Alzheimer’s disease.  

Loss of a previously possessed ability to carry out motor activities despite intact comprehension and motor function; may be seen in dementia. Loss or impairment of ability to perform coordinated movements, especially impairment of the ability to use common objects for their intended purposes. The inability to recall skilled movement, usually as a result of…

Perception as modified and enhanced by one’s own emotions, memories, and biases. A process of focusing the perception of or being actively aware rather than being passively aware. The conscious recognition of a stimulus. Whole perception process: receiving, recognizing, appreciating, assimilating, and interpreting stimuli taken in by the senses (e.g., hearing the roar of a…

A dopamine agonist medication (indicated for subcutaneous use only) used as adjunctive therapy in advanced parkinson’s Disease. Marketed under the brand name apokyn. A substance that comes from morphine, used to make a person cough, sleep or be sick. An emetic that produces its effect by direct action on the vomiting center in the brain.…

The gene that encodes apolipoprotein E (ApoE), a protein that plays an important role in the breakdown of triglycerides, cholesterol, and other fats in the bloodstream. Of the gene’s three alleles (called ε2, ε3, and ε4), the APOE ε4 variant represents the largest known risk factor for late-onset alzheimer’s disease in a variety of ethnic…

Brand name for the antiparkinsonian medication apomorphine.  

An invertebrate marine mollusk that has been subjected to extensive studies of cellular mechanisms of learning and memory because changes in its behavior may be linked to physiological and biochemical changes in specific neurons. Its neurons are 10 times the size of mammalian neurons, and its nervous system is composed of a limited number of…