Category: B
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Buprenex
Brand name for the opioid agonist-antagonist analgesic drug buprenorphine.
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Bulimia nervosa
An eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behavior such as purging (i.e., self-induced vomiting or the use of diuretics and laxatives) or other methods of weight control (e.g., strict dieting, fasting, or vigorous exercise). An eating disorder, characterised by powerful and intractable urges to overeat, followed by self-induced vomiting…
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Bromocriptine
A mixed dopamine agonist-antagonist medication used to treat parkinson’s disease and hyperprolactinemia. Bromocriptine may also have utility in the treatment of neuroleptic malignant syndrome, cocaine withdrawal, and depression. Marketed under the brand names cycloset and parlodel. A drug which functions like dopamine, used to treat excessive lactation, breast pain, some forms of infertility, growth disorder…
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Brodmann areas
Regions of the cerebral cortex defined on the basis of cytoarchitecture, or the organization of the cortex as observed when tissue is stained for nerve cells. Brodmann areas were originally defined and numbered by Korbinian Brodmann (1868–1918) and were referred to by numbers from 1 to 52. Brodmann published his maps of cortical areas in…
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Broca’s area
The area of the brain responsible for speech production, language processing, and language comprehension. Located in the left frontal operculum, Broca’s area is named after Pierre Paul Broca, who in 1861 identified lesions in this region at autopsy in patients who had lost the ability to speak. In anatomy, the structure located on the left…
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Broca’s aphasia
Loss of the ability to comprehend language coupled with the inability to produce words. A condition in which someone is unable to speak or write, as a result of damage to Broca’s area. Often called expressive or motor aphasia, Broca’s aphasia is characterized by difficulties with the motor production of speech, problems with articulation, and…
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Brief psychotic disorder
A transient psychotic disorder with duration limited from a few hours to 1 month and an eventual return to full functioning. Symptoms during the episode indicate impaired reality testing that is not culturally sanctioned, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, or disorganized or catatonic behavior. A transient and brief period of psychosis, lasting no more than a…
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Brief psychotherapy
Any form of psychotherapy whose end point is defined either in terms of the number of sessions (generally no more than 15 or 20) or in terms of specified objectives. It is usually goal-oriented, circumscribed, active, focused, and directed toward a specific problem or symptom.
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Brief psychiatric hospitalization
In today’s managed care era, brief psychiatric hospitalization has become more prevalent. Although usually 5–10 days in duration, anything less than 1 month is considered brief. The goals are to stabilize the patient, identify precipitating factors, adjust for relevant environmental factors, and offer emotional support as well as to discharge the patient to a less…
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Breathing-related sleep disorder
A dyssomnia characterized by sleep disruption due to abnormal respiratory events during sleep, resulting in excessive daytime sleepiness or insomnia. Types of abnormal breathing include apneas (episodes of breathing cessation), hypopneas (abnormally slow or shallow respiration), and hypoventilation (abnormal blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels). Three forms of breathing-related sleep disorder have been described: obstructive…