Glossary
Acetylcholine
A neurotransmitter that enables muscle action, learning, and memory; its deterioration is linked to Alzheimer's disease.
Example:
When you decide to pick up a pen, acetylcholine is released to signal your muscles to contract.
Anti-anxiety drugs (Tranquilizers)
Medications used to control anxiety and agitation by depressing activity in the central nervous system.
Example:
Before a big presentation, some people might take an anti-anxiety drug to calm their nerves, but they must be aware of the risk of dependence.
Antidepressants
Medications primarily used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD by increasing the availability of certain neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine in the brain.
Example:
After starting antidepressants, Sarah noticed a gradual improvement in her mood and energy levels over several weeks.
Antipsychotics
Medications primarily used to treat psychotic symptoms, such as those seen in schizophrenia, by decreasing dopamine levels in the brain.
Example:
A patient experiencing hallucinations might be prescribed antipsychotics to help reduce these perceptual disturbances.
Biological psychology
A field of psychology that examines how our biology, including our brains, neurotransmitters, and genetics, influences our behavior and mental processes.
Example:
A researcher studying how brain injuries affect personality is working within the field of biological psychology.
Deep-Brain Stimulation
A surgical procedure that involves implanting electrodes in specific brain areas to activate the frontal lobes and limbic system, sometimes used for severe depression or OCD.
Example:
In rare cases of extreme OCD, Deep-Brain Stimulation might be considered to help regulate brain circuits associated with the disorder.
Dependence
A state in which a person experiences withdrawal symptoms if they stop taking a drug, indicating a physical or psychological reliance.
Example:
Someone who experiences severe nausea and tremors when they try to stop drinking coffee might be experiencing caffeine dependence.
Dopamine
A neurotransmitter that influences movement, learning, attention, and emotion; an excess is linked to schizophrenia, while a deficit is linked to Parkinson's disease.
Example:
The reward pathway in the brain releases dopamine when you achieve a goal, making you feel pleasure and motivating you to repeat the action.
Double-blind procedure
An experimental procedure in which neither the participants nor the research staff know who has received the treatment and who has received a placebo, to prevent bias.
Example:
In a study testing a new pain reliever, a double-blind procedure would ensure that neither the patients nor the nurses administering the pills knew who was getting the real drug.
Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)
A biomedical therapy for severe depression where a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient, inducing a seizure.
Example:
For severe, treatment-resistant depression, a doctor might recommend Electroconvulsive Therapy after other options have failed.
Mood stabilizers
Medications used to help even out the extreme mood swings characteristic of bipolar disorder, balancing periods of mania and depression.
Example:
Lithium is a common mood stabilizer prescribed to help individuals with bipolar disorder maintain a more consistent emotional state.
Neurogenesis
The process of generating new neurons in the brain, which is thought to be promoted by some antidepressant medications.
Example:
The slow onset of antidepressant effects is partly due to the gradual process of neurogenesis in the brain.
Norepinephrine
A neurotransmitter involved in alertness and arousal, as well as mood; undersupply can depress mood.
Example:
During a stressful situation, your body releases norepinephrine to increase your heart rate and sharpen your focus, preparing you for a 'fight or flight' response.
Prefrontal lobotomy
A historical and largely abandoned psychosurgical procedure that involved severing connections in the brain's frontal lobes, often resulting in severe side effects.
Example:
The prefrontal lobotomy was once used to calm agitated patients, but its devastating impact on personality and cognitive function led to its discontinuation.
Psychopharmacology
The study of how drugs affect the mind and behavior, particularly in the context of treating psychological disorders.
Example:
A psychiatrist prescribing an antidepressant is applying principles of psychopharmacology to help a patient's mood.
Psychosurgery
A highly invasive and rarely used biomedical procedure that involves removing or destroying parts of the brain to treat severe psychological disorders.
Example:
Due to its irreversible nature and high risks, psychosurgery is considered a last resort for mental health treatment.
Random assignment
A procedure in experiments where participants are assigned to either the experimental or control group by chance, minimizing pre-existing differences between the groups.
Example:
To ensure the drug trial was fair, researchers used random assignment to decide which participants received the actual medication and which received a placebo.
Random selection
A method of choosing participants from a population such that every member has an equal chance of being included in the study, aiming for a representative sample.
Example:
To survey student opinions, a school might use random selection by picking every tenth name from the student roster.
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)
A non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic energy pulses to stimulate or suppress brain activity, used for conditions like depression and ASD.
Example:
Unlike ECT, Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation is a painless procedure that can activate specific brain regions.
SNRIs (Selective Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors)
A class of antidepressants that work by blocking the reuptake of norepinephrine, thereby increasing its availability in the brain's synapses.
Example:
Some individuals with depression find that SNRIs are effective in boosting their energy and focus, in addition to improving mood.
SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)
A class of antidepressants that work by blocking the reuptake of serotonin, thereby increasing its availability in the brain's synapses.
Example:
Prozac is a well-known SSRI that helps improve mood by allowing serotonin to remain in the synaptic cleft for longer.
Serotonin
A neurotransmitter that affects mood, hunger, sleep, and arousal; undersupply is linked to depression.
Example:
Many antidepressants work by increasing the availability of serotonin in the brain, helping to lift a person's mood.
Tardive dyskinesia
A potential side effect of long-term use of antipsychotic drugs, characterized by involuntary movements of the facial muscles, tongue, and limbs.
Example:
The patient developed tardive dyskinesia, causing uncontrollable grimacing and lip-smacking, after years of taking antipsychotic medication.
Tolerance
A state where a person needs increasingly larger doses of a drug to achieve the same effect, often seen with anti-anxiety medications.
Example:
After taking the same pain medication for months, John developed tolerance and found he needed a higher dose to relieve his discomfort.