a
- Acquisitional OccupationSkills targeted towards the restoration of impaired skills.
- Activities of Daily Living (ADL)People's daily self care activities.
- Adaptive OccupationSkills focused on adapting to new environment.
- AmantadineAn antiviral and antiparkinsonian drug.
- AntidepressantsDrugs, majorly used for the treatment of depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders and neuropathic pain.
- AphasiaA language disorder that affects the production or comprehension of speech and the ability to read or write.
- ApraxiaA disorder that deals with the motor planning to perform tasks or movements when asked.
b
- Basal GangliaA set of interconnected nuclei in the forebrain.
- BradykinesiaA medical term for the slowness of movement.
- Brain cortexThe largest part of the human brain, associated with higher brain function like thought and action.
c
- Cardiovascular HealthThe wellbeing of the heart and blood vessels.
- Central Nervous SystemThe part of the nervous system which consists of the brain and spinal cord which coordinates the activity of the entire nervous system.
- Cognitive Behavioral TherapyA therapeutic method that primarily deals with anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), eating disorders and anger problems.
- Compensatory TechniquesBehavioral strategies designed to bypass persistent impairment in attention, memory, executive-function, and other cognitive skills.
- Cueing techniquesVisual or verbal techniques that use hand signals or minimal words to inform an individual.
d
- DopamineAn endogenous chemical that helps control the brain's reward and pleasure centers. It also helps regulate body's movement and emotional responses.
- DysarthriaA medical term used to describe unclear articulation of speech that is otherwise linguistically normal.
- DyskinesiaA set of movement disorders that are characterized by involuntary muscle movements.
e
- Esophageal Motility DisordersAny medical disorder causing difficulty in swallowing, regurgitation of food and a spasm-type pain.
- Expiratory PhaseThe portion of the respiratory cycle that involves exhalation, or moving air out of the lungs.
f
- Finger IsolationThe ability to move each finger one at a time.
g
- Gag ReflexA reflex contraction of the back of the throat. Also known as the pharyngeal reflex, it is commonly evoked by touching the uvula, the roof of the mouth, the back of the tongue, the area around the tonsils and the back of the throat.
- Gait ImbalanceProblem with gait, balance, and coordination.
- Goose-steppingA special marching that is characterized by swing legs in unison off the ground while keeping each leg straight and unbent.
i
- IdiopathicRelating to any disease which arises spontaneously or for which the cause is unknown.
- Inspiratory PhaseThe portion of the respiratory cycle that involves inhaling air in the lungs.
l
- Leisure Skill DevelopmentDevelopment of recreation skills in individuals with learning disabilities.
- LevodopaOne of the main drugs used to treat Parkinson's symptoms at all stages of the condition. It attempts to replace the dopamine that is lost in Parkinson's.
- Limbic SystemA set of brain structures located on both sides of the thalamus.
- LRRK2 (leucine-rich repeat kinase 2)An enzyme often associated with an increased risk of Parkinson's disease.
m
- Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)An imaging technique, used to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes of the human body.
- Motivational Interviewing (MI)A counseling approach that harness group processes for evoking and supporting positive change.
n
- Nerve PathwaysA pathway that connects relatively distant areas of the brain is a bundle of neurons, known collectively as White Matter.
- NeurologistA doctor who specializes in neurology.
- Neuromuscular DeficitsA collection of diseases that impair the functioning of the muscles.
- NeurotransmittersEndogenous chemicals that enable neurotransmission.
- NorepinephrineAn organic chemical that functions as a hormone and neurotransmitter.
o
- OccupationsSkills needed for performing self-directed activities.
- Olfactory DeficitA cognitive impairment that results in a disordered sense of smell.
- Oropharyngeal DysphagiaDifficulty initiating a swallow.
- Orthostatic HypotensionA decrease in systolic blood pressure of 20 mm Hg. It is a form of low blood pressure that happens when an individual stands up from sitting or lying down.
p
- Pain ThresholdThe upper limit of tolerance to pain.
- Pain ToleranceThe maximum level of pain that an individual is able to tolerate.
- PathophysiologyThe disordered physiological processes associated with disease or injury.
- Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanAn imaging test that helps reveal how an individual's tissues and organs are functioning.
- PsychotherapyA practice to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. It can take shape of cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, psychodynamic therapy, or a combination of these.
r
- Rapid Eye Movement Sleep Behavior DisorderThe acting out of dreams that are vivid, intense, and violent.
s
- SeizuresA sudden surge of electrical activity in the brain, which usually affects how a person appears or acts for a short time.
- SialorrheaA medical term used for the excessive production of saliva.
- Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) ScanA nuclear imaging test that reveals how blood flows to tissues and organs in the human body.
- SyncopeA sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure leading to fainting.
u
- Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)A scale that measures the longitudinal course of Parkinson's disease.