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Dementia
Dementia The loss, usually progressive, of cognitive and intellectual functions, without impairment of perception or consciousness; caused by a variety of disorders, most commonly structural brain disease. Characterized by disorientation, impaired memory, impaired judgment and lowered intellect.
RELATED TERMS--------------------------------------
Cognitive
The mental process of knowing, including aspects such as awareness, perception, reasoning, and judgment.
Impairment
A defect in organ function or whole body system, which may be temporary or permanent (eg. hemiplegia).
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."" "
Disease
Illness or sickness often characterized by typical patient problems (symptoms) and physical findings (signs). Disruption sequence: The events that occur when a fetus that is developing normally is subjected to a destructive agent such as the rubella (German measles) virus.
Disorientation
Confusion about the time of day, date, or season (time), where one is (place), or who one is (person).
Memory
In the immune system, memory denotes an active state of immunity to a specific antigen, such that a second encounter with that antigen leads to a larger and more rapid response.
SIMILAR TERMS--------------------------------------
Demeclocycline hcl
Demeclocycline hcl is a prescription or over-the-counter drug which is (or once was) approved in the United States and possibly in other countries. Active ingredient(s): demeclocycline hydrochloride.
Demerol
Demerol is a prescription or over-the-counter drug which is (or once was) approved in the United States and possibly in other countries. Active ingredient(s): meperidine hydrochloride.
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Dyslexia
A brain-based type of learning disability that specifically impairs a person's ability to read. These individuals typically read at levels significantly lower than expected despite having normal intelligence. Although the disorder varies from person to person, common characteristics among people with dyslexia have difficulty with phonological processing (the manipulation of sounds) and/or rapid visual-verbal responding.
Dystonia
Dystonia is a neurological movement disorder with involuntary muscle contractions, forcing specific parts of the body into abnormal movements or positions, sometimes causing pain.
Dental phobia
Dental phobia is a fear, or phobia, traditionally defined as an irrational and exaggerated fear of dentists and dental procedures.
Di George Syndrom
A genetic disease caused by a missing piece of chromosome material on chromosome 22 that results in many different health problems, and affects the normal fetal development of the heart, thymus, and parathyroid glands.
Doxycycline
A tetracycline derivative; an antibiotic that inhibits many of the microorganisms infecting the reproductive tract. Often used for treating ureaplasma infections. Many physicians find routine treatment with this antibiotic more cost-effective than performing multiple cultures on both the husband and wife looking for infection.
Dementia
Degenerative Disc Disease
The disc material that sits between the bones of the spinal column act like shock absorbers. Over time this fibrous gelatinous matter loses the ability to absorb water and is called degenerative. Having a degenerative disc can cause pain usually in the neck or lower back depending on where in the spine the disc is located. If surgical treatment is considered, surgery includes removal of the degenerated disc and placement of metal instrumentation to fuse the bones together to avoid instability. Surgical options also include less invasive percutaneous (through the skin) needle procedures.
Down Syndrome
A genetic disorder (caused by the presence of an extra chromosome), which results in physical and mental abnormalities. Physical characteristics include a flattened face, widely spaced and slanted eyes, smaller head size and lax joints. Mental retardation is also typical, though there are wide variations in mental ability, behavior, and developmental progress. Possible related health problems include poor resistance to infection, hearing loss, gastrointestinal problems, and heart defects.
Diet pill
Anorectics, anorexigenics or appetite suppressants, are substances which reduce the desire to eat ("anorectic", from the Greek an- = "not" and oreg- = "extend, reach").
Drug rehabilitation
Drug rehabilitation is an umbrella term for a variety of processes by which a person addicted to a drug stops using that drug. These processes can vary from cold turkey to the use of substitute drugs which do not have the same action upon the state of consciousness as the original drug to which the person was addicted.
Diet
In nutrition, the diet is the sum of the food consumed by a body. Proper nutrition for a human requires vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fuel in the form of carbohydrates and fats. Imbalances between the consumed fuels and expended energy results in either starvation or excessive reserves of adipose tissue, or body fat
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