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Wellness Shop - Health glossary Category: Health and Medicine > Wellness Date & country: 17/11/2007, UK Words: 250

Remission
Period during which symptoms of a disease diminish or disappear.

Respiratory failure
Respiratory failure is a syndrome in which the respiratory system fails in one or both of its gas exchange functions: oxygenation or taking in of oxygen, and carbon dioxide elimination.

Risperidone
Medication used in schizophrenia treatment. An antipsychotic drug noted for its affinity for certain serotonin, dopamine, alpha-adrenergic, and histamine receptors in the brain. A newer type of medication, classified as an atypical antipsychotic or unconventional neuroleptic. Newer agents tend to have fewer side effects. A long-acting version of this medication is also available.

SAD
(See seasonal affective disorder)

Schizoaffective disorder
A mental disorder in which a major depressive episode, manic episode, or mixed episode occurs along with prominent psychotic symptoms characteristic of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia
A group of psychotic disorders usually characterised by withdrawal from reality, illogical patterns of thinking, delusions, and hallucinations, and accompanied in varying degrees by other emotional, behavioural, or intellectual disturbances. Schizophrenia is associated with dopamine imbalances in the brain and defects of the frontal lobe and is caused by genetic, biological and psychosocial factors.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
A mood disorder with an observable seasonal pattern. People with SAD tend to become depressed during the winter months, when there are fewer hours of sunlight. This type of depression tends to be more common in Nordic countries as it is often associated with long and dark winters. The absence of natural daylight is believed to play a significant role.

Seizure
Seizures occur when part(s) of the brain receives a burst of abnormal electrical signals that temporarily interrupts normal electrical brain function.

Sensitisation
The development of bipolar disorder is triggered by stressful events and that every episode causes changes in the structure of the brain, which ultimately results in spontaneous episodes. Also referred to as kindling, the electrophysiological changes that occur in the brain as a result of repeated intermittent exposure to a sub threshold electrical or chemical stimulus (as one causing seizures) so that there develops a usually permanent decrease in the threshold of excitability.

Serotonin
One of the neurotransmitters used by the nerve cells in the brain. Together with dopamine, this neurotransmitter is believed to play a part in schizophrenia.

Sertraline
Medication that affects the action of the neurotransmitters in the brain. Used in the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders.

Severe depression
Clinical depression with long-lasting episodes of low mood.

Side effect
Term used to describe an unwanted effect of a medicine. Most side effects are totally harmless and tend to disappear quickly. In some medications, the side effects can be more severe and long lasting and require monitoring by a doctor.

Skunk
Cannabis (slang).

Sleeping pills
A sedative or hypnotic drug, especially a barbiturate, (in the form of a pill or capsule) used to relieve insomnia.

Snow
Cocaine (slang).

Social phobia
Type of phobia that is characterized by an extreme fear of social situations and contact.

Specific phobia
Type of phobia characterized by extreme fear of an object or situation that is not harmful under general conditions.

Speed
Amphetamines (slang).

Stroke
A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of a blood vessel to the brain, characterized by loss of muscular control, diminution or loss of sensation or consciousness, dizziness, slurred speech, or other symptoms that vary with the extent and severity of the damage to the brain.

Substance abuse-misuse
The misuse or excessive use of substances such as drugs, chemicals, alcohol, tobacco and stimulants.

Suicide
Taking one`s own life. In people with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia, some anxiety disorders and manic depression the risk of suicide is significantly increased.

Sulphate
Amphetamines (slang).

Sulpiride
Medication used in schizophrenia treatment. An older type of medication, also classified as a typical antipsychotic or conventional neuroleptic, also used as an anti-emetic.

Sympathomimetic Agent
An agent producing physiological effects resembling those caused by the activity or stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.

Symptom
A sign or an indication of disorder or disease, especially when experienced by an individual as a change from normal function, sensation, or appearance.

Synthetic
Something that is not of natural origin; prepared or made artificially, e.g. anaesthetic medication produced from synthetic compounds.

Tab
LSD (slang)

Tardive dyskinesia (TD)
Disorder characterised by involuntary movements of the mouth, lips, tongue and sometimes the trunk or other body parts, such as arms and legs. This is often seen as a side effect of antipsychotic medication, especially in older or typical antipsychotic agents. (Tardive - having symptoms that develop slowly or appear long after inception).

Thinking disorder
A disorder that affects people`s ability to think normally. This can often be an associated symptom in other mental disorders such as: schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Thioridazine
An older type of medication, also classified as a typical antipsychotic or conventional neuroleptic. A white or yellow powder, a derivative of phenothiazine, which is used orally as a tranquilizer to treat various psychotic conditions, including schizophrenia.

Thought disorder
Disorganised thinking observed in people with schizophrenia that stops them from connecting thoughts into logical sequences.

Thyroid dysfunction
Malfunctioning of thyroid that can result in over-functioning and insufficient functioning of the thyroid.

Tolerance
The capacity to absorb a drug continuously or in large doses without adverse effect; diminution in the response to a drug after prolonged use.

Toluene
Type of solvent, used in solvent abuse.

Tourette`s Syndrome
A neurological disorder characterized by tics or repeated involuntary, rapid, sudden movements and/or vocalisations.

Tranquilisers
Opposite of stimulants. Drugs that sedate or reduce activity.

Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
Brief episode in which the brain gets insufficient blood supply. Symptoms vary widely from person to person depending on the area of the brain involved. The most frequent symptoms include temporary loss of vision, difficulty speaking (dysphasia), weakness on one side of the body (hemiparesis), numbness usually on one side of the body, and loss of consciousness. If there are neurological symptoms persisting for more than 24 hours, it is classified as a cerebrovascular accident or stroke (qv).

Tremors
Type of shaking, can be an associated side-effect of antipsychotic medication.

Tri-cyclic antidepressants (TCA`s)
Older type of antidepressant used to treat depression. This type of agent has considerable side effects and tends no longer to be used, unless the patient has been taking the medication for a long time or other medication is not beneficial.

Trichloroethylene
Type of solvent.

Trip
(Slang) The effect of taking drugs, also referred to as a high.

Typical antipsychotic
Older type of medication or agent used to treat mental disorders and psychosis. Also called classic neuroleptic. The newer type of antipsychotics is called atypical antipsychotics or atypical neuroleptics.

Tyramine
Amino acid derived from tyrosine; has a sympathomimetic action; found in chocolate and cola drinks and ripe cheese and beer; 'patients taking monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI`s) should avoid foods containing tyramine.' Proteins change in the body into amino acids.

Uppers
A drug, especially an amphetamine, used as a stimulant

Vasodilator
A drug that causes dilation of blood vessels.

Venlafaxine
An oral antidepressant thought to inhibit neuronal uptake of serotonin, Norepinephrine, and dopamine in the central nervous system. It is structurally unrelated to other antidepressants.

Ventricles
A small cavity or chamber within a body or organ, especially (a) the chamber on the left side of the heart that receives arterial blood from the left atrium and contracts to force it into the aorta, (b) the chamber on the right side of the heart that receives venous blood from the right atrium and forces it into the pulmonary artery, (c) any of the interconnecting cavities of the brain.

Weed
Cannabis (slang).

Weight gain
A possible side effect of some medications. Weight gain can be seen in people who take medication for psychosis i.e. typical or atypical antipsychotics. In atypical antipsychotics or the newer antipsychotics, this side effect tends to be less severe than in the older antipsychotic agents.