Category: At-At

A disorder in which a person is unable to control behavior due to difficulty in processing neural stimuli, accompanied by an extremely high level of motor activity. Abbreviated ADHD. ADHD can affect children and adults, but it is easiest to perceive during schooling. A child with ADHD may be extremely distractible, unable to remain still, and very talkative. ADHD is…

(ADD) a developmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention (such as distractibility, disorganization, or forgetfulness) or by symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsivity (such as fidgeting, speaking out of turn, or restlessness). Also referred to as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADD or ADHD is not caused by an underlying physical or mental disorder.

The ability to focus selectively on a selected stimulus, sustaining that focus and shifting it at will. The ability to concentrate. “Everyone knows what attention is,” wrote William James in his Principles of Psychology (1890). “It is the taking possession by the mind in clear and vivid form, of one out of what seem several…

A reflex of the involuntary nervous system that causes the heart to slow down (bradycardia) and that, at the same time, affects the nerves to the blood vessels in the legs permitting those vessels to dilate (widen). As a result the heart puts out less blood, the blood pressure drops, and what blood is circulating tends to go into…

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under the Public Health Service that works with states and other federal agencies to prevent exposure to hazardous substances from waste sites. The agency conducts public health assessments, health studies, surveillance activities, and health education training…

A syndrome characterized by dry mouth, blurred vision, forgetfulness, and difficulty with urination triggered by atropine and the anticholinergic effects of other drugs, particularly anti-psychotic medications. Treatment is to reduce or stop the medication.

A drug, made from the belladonna plant, that is administered via injection, eye drops, or in oral form to relax muscles by inhibiting nerve responses.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is one of the most common inherited neurological disorders, affecting approximately 1 in 2,500 people in the United States. The disease is named for the three physicians who first identified it in 1886 — Jean-Martin Charcot and Pierre Marie in Paris, France, and Howard Henry Tooth in Cambridge, England. CMT,…

A wasting away or diminution. Muscle atrophy is a decrease in muscle mass, often due to extended immobility.

Thinning of the lining (endothelium) of the vagina due to decreased production of estrogen. Atrophic vaginitis may occur with menopause.