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Basal ganglia
Clusters of neurons located deep in the brain; they include the caudate nucleus and the putamen (corpus striatum), the globus pallidus, the subthalamic nucleus, and the substantia nigra. The basal ganglia appear to be involved in higher-order aspects of motor control, such as planning and execution of complex motor activity and the speed of movements. Lesions of the basal ganglia produce various types of involuntary movements such as athetosis, chorea, dystonia, and tremor. The basal ganglia are involved also in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, and tardive dyskinesia. The internal capsule, containing all the fibers that ascend to or descend from the cortex, runs through the basal ganglia and separates them from the thalamus.
Behavioral Therapy
A form of psychotherapy that focuses on modifying observable problematic behaviors by manipulating the individual's environment.
Bestiality
Zoophilia; sexual relations between a human being and an animal. See also paraphilia.
Beta-blocker
An agent that inhibits the action of beta-adrenergic receptors, which modulate cardiac functions, respiratory functions, and the dilation of blood vessels. Beta-blockers are of value in the treatment of hypertension, cardiac arrhythmias, and migraine. In psychiatry, they have been used in the treatment of aggression and violence, anxiety-related tremors and lithium-induced tremors, neuroleptic-induced akathisia, social phobias, panic states, and alcohol withdrawal.
Binge-eating disorder
Binge-eating is an eating disorder characterized by frequent episodes of compulsive overeating. During food binges, individuals with this disorder often eat alone and very quickly, regardless of whether they feel hungry or full. It differs from bulimia, because sufferers do not purge their bodies of the excess food, via vomiting, laxative abuse or diuretic abuse.
Bingeing
A destructive pattern of excessive overeating.
Biofeedback
Biofeedback is learning to control muscle tension and 'involuntary' body functioning, such as heart rate and skin temperature; it can be a path to mastering one's fears. It is used in combination with, or as an alternative to, medication to treat disorders such as anxiety, panic, and phobias.
Bipolar Disorder
A mood disorder, formerly called manic-depressive disorder, that is characterized by episodes of major depression and mania.
Bizarre delusion
A delusion that involves a phenomenon that the person's culture would regard as totally implausible.
Blocking
A sudden obstruction or interruption in spontaneous flow of thinking or speaking, perceived as an absence or deprivation of thought.
Blunted affect
An affect type that represents significant reduction in the intensity of emotional expression
Borderline Personality Disorder
People with this disorder present instability in their perceptions of themselves, and have difficulty maintaining stable relationships. Moods may also be inconsistent, but never neutral -- their sense of reality is always seen in 'black and white'. Adults with borderline personality disorder often seek caretaking through the manipulation of others, leaving them often feeling empty, angry and abandoned, which may lead to desperate and impulsive behavior.
Bradykinesia
Neurologic condition characterized by a generalized slowness of motor activity.
Broca's aphasia
Loss of the ability to comprehend language coupled with production of inappropriate language.
Bruxism
Grinding of the teeth, occurs unconsciously while awake or during stage 2 sleep. May be secondary to anxiety, tension, or dental problems.
Bulimia nervosa (BULIMIA)
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by excessive eating. People who have bulimia will eat an excessive amount of food in a single episode and almost immediately make themselves vomit or use laxatives or diuretics (water pills) to get rid of the food in their bodies. This behavior often is referred to as the 'binge/purge' cycle. Like people with anorexia, people with bulimia have an intense fear of gaining weight.
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