ACUERDO FIRME
2. COMISION DE POLITICAS DE DESARROLLO ORGANIZACIONAL Y ADMINISTRATIVO
B
BWS
abbreviation for battered-womansyndrome.bystander effect
a phenomenon in which people fail tooffer needed help in emergencies, especially when other people are present in the same setting. Studies of this ten- dency, initially described in response to well-publicized fail-
ures of bystanders to render aid in emergencies, have identified a number of psychological and interpersonal processes that inhibit helping, including misinterpreting other people’s lack of response as an indication that help is not needed, confusionofresponsibility, and diffusion ofresponsibility.
CA
1. abbreviation for cocaineanonymous. 2. abbrevia- tion for chronologicalage.CA1, CA2, CA3, and CA4
see hippocampus.caapi
n. see ayahuasca.CAB
abbreviation for coolidgeassessmentbattery.CABG
abbreviation for coronaryarterybypassgraft.cable properties
the physical properties of an axonsuch that a small, nonpropagated electrical disturbance spreads and diminishes exponentially with distance, as along a nonorganic cable. The resistance properties of the conductor determine the rate at which the signal degrades.
cable tensiometry
a method of measuring muscularstrength in which the participant pulls on a cable and the change in the tension of the cable is measured with a tensi- ometer. See also ergograph.
cachexia
n. an extreme state of poor health, physicalwasting, and malnutrition, usually associated with chronic illnesses, such as cancer and pulmonary tuberculosis.
caco-
(cac-) combining form bad or unpleasant.cacoethes
n. an irresistible, and sometimes irrational,desire or compulsion.
caesarean section
see cesareansection.cafard
n. a culture-boundsyndrome found in Polynesia,with symptoms similar to those of amok. Also called ca-
thard.
Cafergot
n. a trade name for ergotamine.cafeteria feeding
a technique for studying the hungerdrive in children and nonhuman animals by offering a va- riety of foods and observing the extent to which the partic- ipants choose those providing balanced, life-sustaining nutrition.
caffeine
n. a cns stimulant found in coffee, tea,cola, cocoa, chocolate, and certain prescribed and over- the-counter medications. It is an antagonist of the neuro- modulator adenosine. Caffeine belongs to the methylxan-
thine group of alkaloids, and its effects include rapid breathing, increased pulse rate and blood pressure, and di- minished fatigue. Precise effects vary with the amount in- gested and the tolerance of the individual. Moderate doses produce an improved flow of thought and clearness of ideas, together with increased respiratory and vasomotor activity; large doses may cause caffeineintoxication and
substance-inducedanxietydisorder. Because of its stim- ulant effects, caffeine is used in wake-promotingagents
and in certain analgesics and cold remedies containing in- gredients that usually cause drowsiness. See also aspirin combinations.
caffeine intoxication
in DSM–IV–TR and DSM–5, in-toxication due to recent consumption of large amounts of caffeine (typically over 250 mg), in the form of coffee, tea, cola, or medications, and involving at least five of the fol- lowing symptoms: restlessness, nervousness, excitement, insomnia, flushed face, diuresis (increased urination), gas-
trointestinal complaints, muscle twitching, rambling thought and speech, rapid or irregular heart rhythm, peri- ods of inexhaustibility, or psychomotor agitation. Also called caffeinism.
CAGE
n. a widely used, simple screening instrument to de- tect alcohol dependence. It consists of the following four questions: (a) Have you ever felt you should Cut down on your drinking? (b) Have people Annoyed you by criticizing your drinking? (c) Have you ever felt bad or Guilty about your drinking? (d) Have you ever used a drink as an Eye- opener?CAH
abbreviation for congenitaladrenalhyperplasia.CAI
abbreviation for computer-assistedinstruction.CAL
abbreviation for computer-assisted learning (see com- puter-assistedinstruction).calamus scriptorius
the caudal end of the floor of thefourth ventricle on the dorsal surface of the medullaob- longata.
calcarine area
the region on the medial surface of theoccipital lobe of the brain that surrounds the calcarine fissure. It includes parts of the striate cortex and the
prestriatecortex.
calcarine fissure
a fissure (groove) on the medial sur-face of each cerebral hemisphere, extending from the most posterior prominence of the occipitallobe to the parieto- occipitalsulcus. Also called calcarine sulcus. See also
calcarinearea.
calcitonin
n. a hormone produced by the parafollicular(or C) cells of the thyroidgland. It controls calcium and phosphate levels in the blood by promoting the resorption of calcium and phosphate by bone tissue, thus lowering their concentrations in the blood. See calcium regula-
tion.
calcium channel
a voltage-gatedionchannel in thepresynaptic membrane of a neuron that is involved in the release of neurotransmitter (and, therefore, passage of a neural signal) at a synapse. The arrival of an actionpo-
tential at the terminal buttons (see axon) of the neuron is accompanied by depolarization of the presynaptic mem- brane, which results in opening of the calcium channels and influx of calcium ions into the terminal buttons. This triggers fusion of the synaptic vesicles (which contain neurotransmitter) with the presynaptic membrane and the release of neurotransmitter into the synapticcleft.
calcium-channel blocker
any of a class of drugs, theprototype of which is verapamil, used in the treatment of hypertension and abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmias). Calcium-channel blockers inhibit the flow of calcium ions into the smooth-muscle cells of blood vessels and the cells of heart muscle, which need calcium to contract. They act by binding to calciumchannels on the surface of depolar- ized muscle-cell membranes, causing a decrease in trans- membrane calcium transmission and prolonged relaxation of the muscles. Verapamil has been studied as a potential
moodstabilizer, with equivocal results in the treatment of mania.