| desensitization | 1. The reduction or abolition of allergic sensitivity or reactions to the specific antigen (allergen). Synonym: ananaphylaxis, antianaphylaxis. 2. The act of removing an emotional complex. Synonym: hyposensitization. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| desensitization, allergy | Stimulation of the immune system with gradually increasing doses of the substances to which a person is allergic, the aim being to modify or stop the allergy war (by reducing the strength of the IgE and its effect on the mast cells). This form of treatment is very effective for allergies to pollen, mites, cats, and especially stinging insects (e.g., bees, hornets, yellowjackets, wasps, velvet ants, fire ants). Allergy immunotherapy usually takes 6 months to a year to become effective and shots (injections) are usually required for 3-5 years. (12 Dec 1998) |
| desensitization, immunologic | Immunosuppression by the administration of increasing doses of antigen. Though the exact mechanism is not clear, the therapy results in an increase in serum levels of allergen-specific IgG, suppression of specific IgE, and an increase in suppressor T-cell activity. (12 Dec 1998) |
| desensitization, psychologic | A behaviour therapy technique in which deep muscle relaxation is used to inhibit the effects of graded anxiety-evoking stimuli. (12 Dec 1998) |
| allergy desensitization | Stimulation of the immune system with gradually increasing doses of the substances to which a person is allergic, the aim being to modify or stop the allergy war (by reducing the strength of the IgE and its effect on the mast cells). This form of treatment is very effective for allergies to pollen, mites, cats, and especially stinging insects (e.g., bees, hornets, yellowjackets, wasps, velvet ants, fire ants). Allergy immunotherapy usually takes 6 months to a year to become effective and injections ( shots ) are usually required for 3-5 years. (12 Dec 1998) |
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| heterologous desensitization | Stimulation by one agonist which leads to a broad pattern of unresponsiveness to further stimulation by a variety of other agonists. (05 Mar 2000) |
| homologous desensitization | Loss of sensitivity only to the class of agonist used to desensitise the tissue. (05 Mar 2000) |
| systematic desensitization | A type of behaviour therapy for eliminating phobias or anxieties: the patient and therapist construct a list of imagined scenes eliciting the phobia, ranked from least to most anxiety-producing; the patient then is trained in deep muscle relaxation, and is repeatedly asked to imagine himself in the presence of the least anxiety-producing scene on the list until he feels fully relaxed while doing so; the procedure is repeated for each scene on the list until the patient develops the capacity to feel relaxed with any of the anxiety-producing scenes; real life scenes are then substituted for the imagined scenes. Synonym: reciprocal inhibition. (05 Mar 2000) |