Abnormal Psychology Cognitive Disorders

Front 1

agnosia

Back 1

Inability to recognize and name objects; may be a symptom of dementia or other brain disorders.

Front 2

Alzheimer''s disease

Back 2

Strange disease of the cerebral cortex that causes an atypical form of senile dementia, discovered in 1906 by German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer.

Front 3

amnestic disorder

Back 3

Deterioration in the ability to transfer information from short- to long-term memory, in the absence of other dementia symptoms, as a result of head trauma or drug abuse.

Front 4

amyloid plaque

Back 4

Clusters of dead neurons found during autopsy in the brains of people with Alzheimer''s disease. Also known as neuritic or senile plaque.

Front 5

aphasia

Back 5

Impairment or loss of language skills resulting from brain damage caused by stroke, Alzheimer''s disease, or other illness or trauma.

Front 6

apolipoprotein E (apo E)

Back 6

Protein involved in the transport of cholesterol. High concentration of one subtype, controlled by a gene on chromosome 19, is associated with Alzheimer''s disease.

Front 7

assertiveness training

Back 7

Instruction in which individuals learn to cope with stress by rehearsing ways to protect their time and personal rights in appropriate ways to avoid being exploited and feeling used. For example, caregivers of people with Alzheimer''s disease learn assertion to prevent them from resorting to abuse in frustration.

Front 8

bradykinesia

Back 8

Slowed body movements, as occur in Parkinson''s disease.

Front 9

chorea

Back 9

Motor problems characterized by involuntary limb movements.

Front 10

Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease

Back 10

Extremely rare condition that causes dementia. Linked to mad cow disease.

Front 11

delirium

Back 11

Rapid-onset reduced clarity of consciousness and cognition, with confusion, disorientation, and deficits in memory and language.

Front 12

dementia

Back 12

Gradual-onset deterioration of brain functioning, involving memory loss, inability to recognize objects or faces, and problems in planning and abstract reasoning. These are associated with frustration and discouragement.

Front 13

dementia of the Alzheimer''s type

Back 13

Gradual onset of cognitive deficits caused by Alzheimer''s disease, principally identified by a person''s inability to recall newly or previously learned material. The most common form of dementia.

Front 14

deterministic

Back 14

In genetics, genes that lead to nearly a 100% chance of developing the associated disorder. These are rare in the population.

Front 15

facial agnosia

Back 15

Type of agnosia characterized by a person''s inability to recognize even familiar faces.

Front 16

head trauma

Back 16

Injury to the head and, therefore, to the brain, typically caused by accidents; can lead to cognitive impairments, including memory loss.

Front 17

human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-l)

Back 17

Disease that causes AIDS.

Front 18

Huntington''s disease

Back 18

Genetic disorder marked by involuntary limb movements and progressing to dementia.

Front 19

multiple infarctions

Back 19

More than one area or incident of death to tissue (for example, in the brain or heart) because of blockage of blood flow.

Front 20

neuritic plaque

Back 20

See amyloid plaque.

Front 21

neurofibrillary tangles

Back 21

Brain damage in the form of large numbers of strandlike filaments found during autopsy in people with Alzheimer''s disease.

Front 22

Parkinson''s disease

Back 22

Degenerative brain disorder principally affecting motor performance (for example, tremors and stooped posture) associated with reduction in dopamine. Dementia may be a result as well.

Front 23

Pick''s disease

Back 23

Rare neurological disorder that results in presenile dementia.

Front 24

presenile dementia

Back 24

Dementia that appears before old age, between 40 and 60 years.

Front 25

subcortical dementia

Back 25

Disease affecting the inner areas of the brain below the cortex. It differs from dementia of the Alzheimer''s type in that it involves impaired recall but normal recognition, more severe depression and anxiety, slowed motions, and impaired coordination but no aphasia.

Front 26

susceptibility

Back 26

In genetics, genes that only slightly increase the risk of developing the disorder, but in contrast to the deterministic genes, these are more common in the general population.

Front 27

tacrine hydrochloride

Back 27

Medication for patients with Alzheimer''s disease that prevents the breakdown of acetylcholine, keeping it available for use by the brain. Improvements are small, and the drug is expensive and causes serious side effects.

Front 28

vascular

Back 28

Pertaining to the vessels that transport blood and other fluids in the body.

Front 29

vascular dementia

Back 29

Progressive brain disorder involving loss of cognitive functioning, caused by blockage of blood flow to the brain, that appears concurrently with other neurological signs and symptoms.