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Aura
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Aura A premonitory, subjective brief sensation (e.g., a flash of light) that warns of an impending headache or convulsion. The nature of the sensation depends on the brain area in which the attack begins. Seen in migraine and epilepsy.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Headache
Primary - includes tension (muscular contraction), vascular (migraine), and cluster headaches not caused by other underlying medical conditions. Secondary - includes headaches that result from other medical conditions. These may also be referred to as traction headaches or inflammatory headaches.
Convulsion
A violent, involuntary muscular contraction.
Brain
"That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called ""hemispheres."" "
Migraine
A vascular headache associated with changes in the size of the arteries within and outside of the brain. A migraine begins when hyperactive nerve cells send out impulses to the blood vessels, causing constriction, followed by the dilation of these vessels and the release of prostaglandins, serotonin, and other inflammatory substances that cause the pulsation to be painful. Migraine is a genetic disorder that is inherited. A migraine causes mild to severe pain and lasts from 4 hours up to a week. Migraines usually occur 2 to 4 times per month.
Epilepsy
Sudden and recurrent disturbances in mental function, state of consciousness, sensory activity, or movements of the body, caused by paroxysmal malfunction of cerebral nerve cells. Epilepsy includes generalized convulsions in which there is sudden unconsciousness with falling and shaking of limbs, momentary lapses of awareness, and local movements and sensations in parts of the body, as well as other types of activity that may include bizarre automatic behaviour, strange memories, illusory and hallucinatory experiences, and changes in mood.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
Apperception
Perception as modified and enhanced by one's own emotions, memories, and biases.
Apraxia
Inability to carry out previously learned skilled motor activities despite intact comprehension and motor function; this may be seen in dementia.
Astereognosis
Inability to recognize familiar objects by touch that cannot be explained by a defect of elementary tactile sensation.
Attention
The ability to focus in a sustained manner on a particular stimulus or activity. A disturbance in attention may be manifested by easy distractibility or difficulty in finishing tasks or in concentrating on work.
Auditory hallucination
A hallucination involving the perception of sound, most commonly of voices. Some clinicians and investigators would not include those experiences perceived as coming from inside the head and would instead limit the concept of true auditory hallucinations to those sounds whose source is perceived as being external.
Aura
Autoeroticism
Sensual self-gratification. Characteristic of, but not limited to, an early stage of emotional development. Includes satisfactions derived from genital play, masturbation, fantasy, and oral, anal, and visual sources.
Automatism
Automatic and apparently undirected nonpurposeful behavior that is not consciously controlled. Seen in psychomotor epilepsy.
Autoplastic
Referring to adaptation by changing the self.
Autotopagnosia
Inability to localize and name the parts of one's own body. finger agnosia would be autotopagnosia restricted to the fingers.
Avolition
An inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed activities. When severe enough to be considered pathological, avolition is pervasive and prevents the person from completing many different types of activities (e.g., work, intellectual pursuits, self-care).
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Headache
Primary - includes tension (muscular contraction), vascular (migraine), and cluster headaches not caused by other underlying medical conditions. Secondary - includes headaches that result from other medical conditions. These may also be referred to as traction headaches or inflammatory headaches.
Convulsion
A violent, involuntary muscular contraction.
Brain
"That part of the central nervous system that is located within the cranium (skull). The brain functions as the primary receiver, organizer and distributor of information for the body. It has two (right and left) halves called ""hemispheres."" "
Migraine
A vascular headache associated with changes in the size of the arteries within and outside of the brain. A migraine begins when hyperactive nerve cells send out impulses to the blood vessels, causing constriction, followed by the dilation of these vessels and the release of prostaglandins, serotonin, and other inflammatory substances that cause the pulsation to be painful. Migraine is a genetic disorder that is inherited. A migraine causes mild to severe pain and lasts from 4 hours up to a week. Migraines usually occur 2 to 4 times per month.
Epilepsy
Sudden and recurrent disturbances in mental function, state of consciousness, sensory activity, or movements of the body, caused by paroxysmal malfunction of cerebral nerve cells. Epilepsy includes generalized convulsions in which there is sudden unconsciousness with falling and shaking of limbs, momentary lapses of awareness, and local movements and sensations in parts of the body, as well as other types of activity that may include bizarre automatic behaviour, strange memories, illusory and hallucinatory experiences, and changes in mood.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
PREVIOUS AND NEXT TERMS--------------------------------------
Apperception
Perception as modified and enhanced by one's own emotions, memories, and biases.
Apraxia
Inability to carry out previously learned skilled motor activities despite intact comprehension and motor function; this may be seen in dementia.
Astereognosis
Inability to recognize familiar objects by touch that cannot be explained by a defect of elementary tactile sensation.
Attention
The ability to focus in a sustained manner on a particular stimulus or activity. A disturbance in attention may be manifested by easy distractibility or difficulty in finishing tasks or in concentrating on work.
Auditory hallucination
A hallucination involving the perception of sound, most commonly of voices. Some clinicians and investigators would not include those experiences perceived as coming from inside the head and would instead limit the concept of true auditory hallucinations to those sounds whose source is perceived as being external.
Aura
Autoeroticism
Sensual self-gratification. Characteristic of, but not limited to, an early stage of emotional development. Includes satisfactions derived from genital play, masturbation, fantasy, and oral, anal, and visual sources.
Automatism
Automatic and apparently undirected nonpurposeful behavior that is not consciously controlled. Seen in psychomotor epilepsy.
Autoplastic
Referring to adaptation by changing the self.
Autotopagnosia
Inability to localize and name the parts of one's own body. finger agnosia would be autotopagnosia restricted to the fingers.
Avolition
An inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed activities. When severe enough to be considered pathological, avolition is pervasive and prevents the person from completing many different types of activities (e.g., work, intellectual pursuits, self-care).
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This dictionary contains 19186 terms.
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