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acrophobia

irrational fear of heights

acute

refers to a physical or mental condition with sudden onset and short duration

acute dystonia

sustained muscle spasm or contraction sometimes seen as a side effect of antipsychotic medications

ADD

attention deficit disorder

addiction

physical and psychological dependence on a drug

ADHD

attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

adjustment disorder

refers to emotional symptoms, usually depression and anxiety, that arise due to a stressful event

affective

relating to emotions and feelings

agnosia

inability to identify common familiar objects

agoraphobia

fear of being in places where escape may be difficult (examples include fear of crossing a bridge or leaving the home)

akathisia

restlessness, either subjectively felt internally by the patient, or objectively observed; a side effect of antipsychotic medications

akinesia

slowed or decreased voluntary movements; seen as a side effect of antipsychotic medications

akinetic mutism

a motor disorder characterized by a lack of movement and lack of speech

alogia

inability to produce adequate or fluent speech

altruism

doing things to selflessly benefit others

Alzheimer's disease

a neurodegenerative disease, usually seen in the elderly, where memory and activities of daily living are greatly impaired

amygdala

a brain structure responsible for processing memory and emotion

anhedonia

inability to experience pleasure in things one used to find pleasurable; seen in depressed patients

anorexia nervosa

a type of eating disorder in which the patient restricts food iV2.shtmle and exercises excessively due to distorted body image

anterograde amnesia

loss of memory of new facts and events

antidepressants

medications used to treat depressive disorders; examples include Prozac, Paxil, Effexor

antipsychotics

medications used to treat psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia; examples include Haldol, Risperdal, Zyprexa

antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder in which a person completely disregards and violates others' rights by lying, cheating, fighting, or doing unlawful things

anxiolytics

medications used to treat anxiety disorders such as panic disorder; examples include Ativan, Xanax, Klonopin

aphasia

inability to express verbal language; for example, a patient cannot name common familiar objects

aphonia

inability of produce speech sounds

apraxia

inability to carry out purposeful movements; for example, a patient cannot brush his teeth

asociality

lack of interaction with one's environment; seen in schizophrenic patients

Asperger's disorder

impairment in social interaction and presence of repetitive, stereotyped behaviors in the absence of language delay

ataxia

loss of coordination of voluntary muscle movement (example: an ataxic gait)

audition

sense of hearing

auditory hallucinations

perceptual disturbance when one hears voices or noises when no one else is around

aura

a sensation that precedes a seizure

avolition

inability to initiate behavior; seen in schizophrenic patients

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