Neurology

n23

AROUSAL JAG

an increase of activation followed by a sudden decrease, often accompanied by laughter to signify a release of tension. The

ASONIA

n. refers to a form of sensory amusia characterized by inability to distinguish differences in pitch. Also known as tone

ASYMPTOTE

n. 1. in statistics, a hypothetical straight line that a regular curve approaches but never reaches, as it approaches infinity.

ATTENTION-DEFICITHYPERACTIVITY DISORDER (ADHD AHD)

in DSM-IV-TR, this represents a behavioral syndrome characterized by the persistent presence (i.e., for 6 months or more) of six

AUDITORY BLENDING

the ability to synthesize the individual sounds (phonemes) of a word so that the whole word can be comprehended or

AUTISTIC FANTASY

a specific type of defense mechanism in which a person deals with emotional stress by retreating into excessive daydreaming as

AUTOPEDOPHILIA

n. refers to the gaining of sexual pleasure from dressing as a child, pretending to be a child, or having

BABINSKI REFLEX

the innate reflex occurring in a healthy infant whereby the toes extend upward when the sole of the foot is

BASELINE

n. a line that serves as a basis or reference point for observing behavior. Because this behavioral performance is stable,

BEHAVIORAL CRITERION

n. the distinct behavior which must consistently exist in an individual in order for a diagnosis to be accurately made.

BELL CURVE

n. in statistics, refers to the classic curve obtained from plotting the graph of a normal distribution. This curve is

BIOCHEMICAL DEFECT

n. a metabolic defect which contibutes to the onset of a neurological or psychiatric condition. This defect may either be

BIOPHYSICAL SYSTEM

n. any biological process which is studied on a system level. Thus, it is studied and described as to its

BLOCKING

n. a phenomenon in which a previously-learned thought process prevents or delays the learning and conditioning of new behavior. It

BRAIN COMPARATOR

n. a structure which exists theoretically in the brain, the function of which would be to compare an intended movement

BUNDLE HYPOTHESIS

n. a hypothesis which states that a whole is merely the sum of its parts. First proposed by German-American psychologist

CARTESIAN DUALISM

n. a principle which essentially states that the mind and body are non-identical. The body (and brain) are made of

CAUSAL ANALYSIS

n. a method of searching for the cause or causes of certain effects. Because the causal factor needs to be

BINARY CHOICE

Choosing between 2 alternatives.

CONCORDANCE RATE

the amount of twin pairs or other genetically related persons who show a certain feature or illness.