Term
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Definition
| one of a group of mental disorders characterized by irrational or inappropriate expressions of fear, including panic disorder, agoraphobia, and OCD |
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Term
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Definition
| a mental disorder characterized by recurring, seemingly unprovoked panic attacks and a persistent worry about having further attacks |
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Term
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Definition
| a mental disorder characterized by severe anxiety about being in situations in which escape might be difficult or embarrassing |
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Term
| obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) |
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Definition
| a mental disorder that includes obsessions (recurrent, intrusive thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that are perceived as being inappropriate, grotesque or forbidden) and compulsions (repetitive behaivors or mental acts that are performed to reduce the anxiety associated with obsessions) |
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Term
| hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis |
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Definition
| a system of CNS neurons and endocrine cells that regulates the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland. Dysfunction of the HPA system has been implicated in anxiety disorders and affective disorders |
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Term
| adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) |
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Definition
| a hormone released by the anterior pituitary in response to corticotropin-releasing hormone; stimulates the release of cortisol from the adrenal gland |
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Term
| corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) |
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Definition
| a hormone released by neurons in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus; stimulates the release of ACTH from the anterior pituitary |
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Term
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Definition
| a receptor activated by cortisol released from the adrenal gland |
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Term
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Definition
| a medication that reduces anxiety; examples are benzodiazepines and SSRIs |
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Term
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Definition
| a class of drugs with antianxiety, sedative, muscle-relaxing and anticonvulsant effects; acts by binding to GABAa receptors and prolonging their inhibitory actions |
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Term
| serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) |
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Definition
| a drug, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), that prolongs the actions of synaptically released serotonin by preventing reuptake; used to treat depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder |
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Term
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Definition
| a psychiatric condition characterized by disordered emotions; also called mood disorder. Examples are major depression and bipolar disorder |
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Term
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Definition
| an affective disorder characterized by prolonged, severe impairment of mood; may include anxiety, sleep disturbances, and other physiological disturbances |
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Term
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Definition
| a psychiatric affective disorder characterized by episodes of mania, sometimes interspersed with episodes of depression; also called manic-depressive disorder |
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Term
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Definition
| an elevated, expansive or irritable mood that is characteristic of bipolar disorder |
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Term
| monoamine hypothesis of mood disorders |
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Definition
| a hypothesis suggesting that depression is a consequence of a reduction in the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin and norepinephrine, in the brain |
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Term
| diathesis-stress hypothesis of mood disorders |
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Definition
| a hypothesis suggesting that depression is caused by a combination of genetic predisposition and environmental stress |
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Term
| electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) |
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Definition
| a treatment for major depression that involves eliciting electrical seizure activity in the brain |
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Term
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Definition
| a drug that treats the symptoms of depression by elevating brain levels of monoamine neurotransmitters; examples are tricyclics, monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitors, and SSRIs |
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Term
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Definition
| an element, existing in solution as a monovalent cation, that is effective in the treatment of bipolar disorder |
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Term
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Definition
| a mental disorder characterized by a loss of contact with reality; fragmentation and disruption of thought, perception, mood and movement; delusions; hallucinations; and disordered memory |
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Term
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Definition
| an antipsychotic drug used to treat schizophrenia by blocking dopamine receptors; examples are chlorpromazine and clozapine |
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Term
| dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia |
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Definition
| a hypothesis suggesting that schizophrenia is caused by excessive activation of D2 receptors in the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system in the brain |
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Term
| glutamate hypothesis of schizophrenia |
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Definition
| a hypothesis suggesting that schizophrenia is caused by the reduced activaton of NMDA receptors in the brain |
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