Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

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.

An entry chamber. On both sides of the heart, the atrium is the chamber that leads to the ventricle.

The electrical relay station between the upper and lower chambers of the heart. Abbreviated AV node. Electrical signals from the atria must pass through the AV node to reach the ventricles. The AV node, which controls the heart rate, is one of the major elements in the cardiac conduction system. The AV node serves as an electrical relay station, slowing…

Pertaining to the atria (the upper chambers of the heart) and the ventricles (the lower chambers of the heart). The AV node is an electrical relay station between the atria and the ventricles. Electrical signals from the atria must pass through the AV node to reach the ventricles. The AV node is a major element in the cardiac…

A genetic syndrome characterized by the combination of heart disease and malformations of the upper limb. The heart defect is usually an atrial septal defect (ASD) and, less often, a ventricular septal defect (VSD), although other cardiovascular malformations have been reported. The upper limb malformations most often affect the forearm and thumb. The thumb may be absent or it may be…

The wall between the right and left atria of the heart.