Showing posts with label vocabulary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vocabulary. Show all posts

Friday, June 01, 2007

Hypomimia

Hypomimia, a Medical sign, is a reduced degree of facial expression.

It can be caused by motor impairment (for example, weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles), as in Parkinson's disease, or by other causes, like psychological or psychiatric factors (for example, if a patient actually doesn't feel emotions, and thus doesn't show any expression).

Bradykinesia

Definition of Bradykinesia:

Slowed ability to start and continue movements, and impaired ability to adjust the body's position. Can be a symptom of neurological disorders*, particularly Parkinson's disease, or a side effect of medications.

The word bradykinesia is logically derived from two Greek roots: bradys, slow + kinesis, movement = slow movement, slow motion, slow moving.

*Can also be a symptom of going out on a weeknight and drinking peach-schnapps, whiskey, cider etc

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Sympathomimetic

From: http://en.wikipedia.org

Sympathomimetic drugs are substances that mimic the effects of the hormone epinephrine (adrenaline) and the hormone/neurotransmitter norepinephrine (noradrenaline). They all raise blood pressure and are all weak bases.

Classical sympathomimetic drugs are amphetamines (including MDMA), ephedrine and cocaine, which act by blocking and reversing norepinephrine transporter (NET) activity. NET is a transport protein expressed on the surface of some cells that clears noradrenaline and adrenaline from the extracellular space and into cells, terminating the signaling effects.

Substances like cocaine also affect dopamine, and some substances like MDMA affect serotonin.

Norepinephrine is synthesized by the body into epinephrine, causing central nervous system stimulation. Thus, all sympathimimetic amines fall into the larger group of stimulants (see psychoactive drug chart). Many of these stimulants have therepeutic use and abuse potential, can induce tolerance, and possibly physical dependence.

Monday, May 14, 2007

Titration

ti·tra·tion(t-trshn)
n.
The process, operation, or method of determining the concentration of a substance in solution by adding to it a standard reagent of known concentration in carefully measured amounts until a reaction of definite and known proportion is completed, as shown by a color change or by electrical measurement, and then calculating the unknown concentration.