Abnormal Psychology Physical Disorders And Health Psychology

Front 1

acute pain

Back 1

Pain that typically follows an injury and disappears once the injury heals or is effectively treated.

Front 2

AIDS-related complex (ARC)

Back 2

Group of minor health problems such as weight loss, fever, and night sweats that appears after HIV infection but before development of full-blown AIDS.

Front 3

angina pectoris

Back 3

Chest pain caused by partial blockage of the arteries that supply blood to the heart.

Front 4

antibodies

Back 4

Highly specific molecules called immunoglobulins produced by B cells to combine with and neutralize antigens.

Front 5

antigens

Back 5

Foreign materials that enter the body, including bacteria and parasites.

Front 6

arrhythmia

Back 6

Irregular heartbeat.

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

atherosclerosis

Back 8

Process by which a fatty substance or plaque builds up inside arteries to form obstructions.

Front 9

autoimmune disease

Back 9

Condition in which the body''s immune system attacks healthy tissue rather than antigens.

Front 10

B cells

Back 10

Special type of white blood cells produced in bone marrow. They release into the humoral branch of the immune system molecules that circulate in the blood to seek, identify, and neutralize antigens.

Front 11

behavioral medicine

Back 11

Interdisciplinary approach applying behavioral science to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of medical problems.

Front 12

biofeedback

Back 12

Use of physiological monitoring equipment to make individuals aware of their own bodily functions, such as blood pressure or brain waves, that they cannot normally access, with the purpose of controlling these functions.

Front 13

cancer

Back 13

Category of often-fatal medical conditions involving abnormal cell growth and malignancy.

Front 14

cardiovascular disease

Back 14

Afflictions in the mechanisms, including the heart, blood vessels, and their controllers, responsible for transporting blood to the body''s tissues and organs. Psychological factors may play important roles in such diseases and their treatments.

Front 15

cardiovascular system

Back 15

Heart, blood vessels, and their controlling mechanisms, all of which transport blood and nutrients to the tissues of the body.

Front 16

cellular branch

Back 16

Branch of the immune system using specialized cells to protect the body cells against viral and parasite infections.

Front 17

chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)

Back 17

Incapacitating exhaustion following only minimal exertion, accompanied by fever, headaches, muscle and joint pain, depression, and anxiety.

Front 18

chronic pain

Back 18

Enduring pain that does not decrease over time; may occur in muscles, joints, and the lower back, and may be caused by enlarged blood vessels or degenerating or cancerous tissue. Other significant factors are social and psychological.

Front 19

community intervention

Back 19

Approach to treating and preventing disorders by directing action at the organizational, agency, and community levels rather than at individuals.

Front 20

coronary heart disease (CHD)

Back 20

Blockage of the arteries supplying blood to the heart muscle; a major cause of death in Western culture, with social and psychological factors involved.

Front 21

corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF)

Back 21

Neuromodulator hormone secreted into the blood by the hypothalamus. It stimulates the pituitary gland as part of a reaction chain called the stress response. It may be implicated in mood disorders, as well as physical problems.

Front 22

diastolic blood pressure

Back 22

Blood pressure level when the heart is at rest or between heartbeats.

Front 23

dorsal horns of the spinal cord

Back 23

Sections of the spinal cord responsible for transmitting sensory input to the brain. They function as a gate that allows transmission of pain sensations if the stimulation is sufficiently intense.

Front 24

endogenous opioids

Back 24

Substances occurring naturally throughout the body that function like neurotransmitters to shut down pain sensation even in the presence of marked tissue damage. These may contribute to psychological problems such as eating disorders. Also known as endorphins or enkephalins.

Front 25

endorphins

Back 25

See endogenous opioids.

Front 26

enkephalins

Back 26

See endogenous opioids.

Front 27

erotophobia

Back 27

Learned negative reaction to or attitude about sexual activity, perhaps developed as a result of a negative or even traumatic event, such as rape.

Front 28

essential hypertension

Back 28

High blood pressure with no verifiable physical cause, which makes up the overwhelming majority of high blood pressure cases.

Front 29

gate control theory of pain

Back 29

View that psychological factors can enhance or diminish the sensation and perception of pain by influencing the transmission of pain impulses through the section of the spinal cord that acts as a gate.

Front 30

general adaptation syndrome (GAS)

Back 30

Sequence of reactions to sustained stress described by Hans Selye. These stages are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion, which may lead to death.

Front 31

genital herpes

Back 31

Incurable sexually transmitted viral disease with alternating periods of dormancy and activity. The active periods involve pain, liquid discharge, itching, and ulcerative lesions, and their recurrence may be influenced by stress.

Front 32

health psychology

Back 32

Subfield of behavioral medicine that studies psychological factors important in health promotion and maintenance.

Front 33

helper T cells

Back 33

T-type lymphocyte that enhances the immune system response by signaling B cells to produce antibodies and other T cells to destroy antigens.

Front 34

high blood pressure

Back 34

See hypertension.

Front 35

hypertension

Back 35

Major risk factor for stroke and heart and kidney disease that is intimately related to psychological factors. Also known as high blood pressure.

Front 36

immune system

Back 36

Body''s means of identifying and eliminating any foreign materials (for example, bacteria, parasites, and even transplanted organs) that enter.

Front 37

ischemia

Back 37

Narrowing of arteries caused by plaque buildup within the arteries.

Front 38

large fibers

Back 38

Nerve fibers in the dorsal horns of the spinal cord that regulate the pattern and intensity of pain sensations. They close the gate, decreasing the transmission of painful stimuli.

Front 39

leukocytes

Back 39

White blood cells of varying types that play specialized roles in the immune system to fight viral and parasitic infections.

Front 40

memory B cells

Back 40

Specialized lymphocytes created after antigens are neutralized to help the immune system fight off new invasions by those antigens more rapidly. These account for the effectiveness of inoculations.

Front 41

myocardial infarction

Back 41

Death of heart tissue when its blood supply artery is blocked by plaque or a blood clot.

Front 42

myocardium

Back 42

Most widely used opiate antagonist drug. It produces immediate withdrawal and, thus, a great deal of discomfort. It may also contribute to the treatment of alcohol abuse but is not as successful for either substance as was originally hoped.

Front 43

neurasthenia

Back 43

Disorder common in the United States in the mid-1800s; the label is no longer used here (although it is still prevalent in China). Its symptoms include a lack of energy, a variety of aches and pains, and sometimes fever. This disorder is similar to present-day chronic fatigue syndrome.

Front 44

neuropeptides

Back 44

See neuromodulators.

Front 45

nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT)

Back 45

Erection of the penis during sleep, usually rapid eye movement sleep. If this normal reaction occurs in a man with erectile problems in the waking state, his problems may be assumed to have psychological origins.

Front 46

pain behaviors

Back 46

Observable manifestations of the private experience of pain. These may include wincing or other facial expressions, verbal complaints of distress, and avoidance of activities that increase pain sensations.

Front 47

papaverine

Back 47

Vasodilating medication used to treat male erectile disorder by dilating blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the penis to form an erection. The medication must be injected, and the procedure can be painful. It is so intrusive that it is often declined or discontinued by patients.

Front 48

penile strain gauge

Back 48

Psychophysiological monitoring device that measures male sexual arousal by changes in penis circumference.

Front 49

phantom limb pain

Back 49

Perception of pain in a limb that is absent because of amputation. This phenomenon suggests pain is not entirely a physical experience.

Front 50

psychoncology

Back 50

Study of psychological factors involved in the course and treatment of cancer.

Front 51

psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)

Back 51

Study of psychological influences on the neurological responding involved in the body''s immune response.

Front 52

psychophysiological disorders

Back 52

Outdated term, similar to psychosomatic medicine, for the study of psychological and social factors influencing physical disorders. The term is misleading because it falsely implies that other psychological problems, such as mood disorders, do not have significant biological components.

Front 53

psychosomatic medicine

Back 53

See behavioral medicine.

Front 54

Raynaud''s disease

Back 54

Cardiovascular disease involving blockage of blood circulation to the extremities, with resultant pain and cold sensations in the hands and feet.

Front 55

relaxation response

Back 55

Active components of meditation methods, including repetitive thoughts of a sound to reduce distracting thoughts and closing the mind to other intruding thoughts, that decrease the flow of stress hormones and neurotransmitters and cause a feeling of calm.

Front 56

retarded ejaculation

Back 56

Male orgasmic disorder in which ejaculation is delayed; thus, the patient is unable to reach orgasm with his partner, although he is able to ejaculate during masturbation.

Front 57

retrograde ejaculation

Back 57

Condition in which ejaculatory fluids travel backward into the bladder, usually as a result of certain drugs or a medical condition. This is not considered a DSM-IV-TR male orgasmic disorder.

Front 58

rheumatoid arthritis

Back 58

Painful, degenerative disease in which the immune system essentially attacks itself, resulting in stiffness, swelling, and even destruction of the joints. Cognitive-behavioral treatments can help relieve pain and stiffness.

Front 59

self-efficacy

Back 59

Perception of having the ability to cope with stress or challenges.

Front 60

small fibers

Back 60

Nerve fibers in the dorsal horns of the spinal cord that regulate the pattern and intensity of pain sensations. They open the gate, increasing the transmission of painful stimuli.

Front 61

stress

Back 61

Body''s physiological response to a stressor, which is any event or change that requires adaptation.

Front 62

stress hormones

Back 62

Group of hormones, including corticosteroids, involved in the body''s physiological stress response.

Front 63

stress physiology

Back 63

Study of the body''s response to stressful events.

Front 64

stroke/cerebral vascular accident (CVA)

Back 64

Temporary blockage of blood vessels supplying the brain, or a rupture of vessels in the brain, resulting in temporary or permanent loss of brain functioning.

Front 65

systolic blood pressure

Back 65

Blood pressure generated when the heart is at work pumping blood.

Front 66

T cells

Back 66

Lymphocytes produced in bone marrow, developed in the thymus gland, and operating in the cellular branch of the immune system. Some attack antigens directly; others help regulate the system.

Front 67

time-management training

Back 67

Instruction that teaches patients to deal with stress by establishing priorities among activities and demands and paying less attention to the less important ones.

Front 68

transcendental meditation

Back 68

Technique for focusing attention by softly repeating a single syllable (mantra); often accompanied by slow and regular breathing.

Front 69

type A behavior pattern

Back 69

Cluster of behaviors including excessive competitiveness, time-pressured impatience, accelerated speech, and anger, originally thought to promote high risk for heart disease.

Front 70

type B behavior pattern

Back 70

Cluster of behaviors including a relaxed attitude, indifference to time pressure, and less forceful ambition; originally thought to promote low risk for heart disease.

Front 71

vaginal photoplethysmograph

Back 71

Light-sensitive psychophysiological monitoring device that measures female sexual arousal reflected by blood flow to the vagina.