| tonic seizure | Sustained contractures of skeletal muscle as occur during convulsions. Synonym: tonic convulsion. (05 Mar 2000) |
|---|---|
| tonic spasm | A continuous involuntary muscular contraction. (05 Mar 2000) |
| epilepsy, tonic-clonic | Primary generalised epileptic seizures, starting without warning, characterised by loss of consciousness, tonic contraction of muscles, loss of postural control, and production of a cry by the forced expiration of air due to contraction of the respiratory muscles. The individual then falls to the floor and remains rigid for a few seconds, after which a series of rhythmic contractions occur in all four limbs. This clonic phase can last for a variable period, ending only upon muscle relaxation. Upon recovery, there is a gradual return to consciousness, disorientation, amnesia for the seizure, sometimes retrograde amnesia as well, headache, and drowsiness. The individual may not return to baseline functioning for days. (12 Dec 1998) |
| communicating branches of auriculotemporal nerve to facial nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Branches conveying fibres from the auriculotemporal nerve to the facial nerve. Synonym: rami communicantes nervi auriculotemporalis cum nervo faciali. (05 Mar 2000) |
| communicating branches of lingual nerve to hypoglossal nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Communicating branches between the lingual nerve (from mandibular nerve) and hypoglossal nerve forming a plexus on the hypoglossus muscle. Synonym: rami communicantes nervi lingualis cum nervo hypoglosso. (05 Mar 2000) |
| communicating branch of facial nerve with glossopharyngeal nerve | <anatomy, nerve> A small branch from the digastric branch of the facial nerve to the glossopharyngeal nerve. Synonym: ramus communicans cum nervo glossopharyngeo, Haller's ansa. (05 Mar 2000) |
| communicating branch of glossopharyngeal nerve with auricular branch of vagus nerve | <anatomy, nerve> A small branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve which joins the auricular branch of the vagus, conveying tactile fibres. Synonym: ramus communicans cum nervo glossopharyngeo, ramus communicans nervi glossopharyngei cum ramo auriculari nervi vagalis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| communicating branch of lacrimal nerve with zygomatic nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Nerve branch by which postsynaptic parasympathetic (secretomotor) fibres from the pterygopalatine ganglion are transferred from the zygomatic nerve to the lacrimal nerve (heretofore purely sensory) for distribution to the lacrimal gland. Synonym: ramus communicans nervi lacrimalis cum nervo zygomatico. (05 Mar 2000) |
| communicating branch of median nerve with ulnar nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Branch of median nerve joining the ulnar nerve in the hand; the anterior interosseous branch of the median nerve may also communicate with the ulnar nerve in the proximal forearm. Synonym: ramus communicans nervi mediani cum nervo ulnari. (05 Mar 2000) |
| communicating branch of superior laryngeal nerve with recurrent laryngeal nerve | <anatomy, nerve> Branch of internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve communicating with the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the wall of the laryngopharynx supplying sensory fibres to the latter. Synonym: ramus communicans nervi laryngei recurrentis cum ramo laryngeo interno, ramus communicans nervi laryngei superioris cum nervo laryngeo recurrenti, Galen's anastomosis, Galen's nerve. (05 Mar 2000) |
| abstracting and indexing | Shortening or summarizing of documents; assigning of descriptors for referencing documents. (12 Dec 1998) |
| academies and institutes | Organizations representing specialised fields which are accepted as authoritative; may be non-governmental, university or an independent research organization, e.g., national academy of sciences, brookings institution, etc. (12 Dec 1998) |
| accounts payable and receivable | Short-term debt obligations and assets occurring in the regular course of operational transactions. (12 Dec 1998) |
| aged, 80 and over | A person 80 years of age and older. (12 Dec 1998) |
| algae and fungi | Algae represent a group of spore-propagating plants, unicellular or undifferentiated into root, stem, and leaf. They include seaweed and many unicellular fresh water plants, most of which contain chlorophyll. They account for about 90% of the earth's photosynthetic activity. Fungi are eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that live as saprobes or parasites and include mushrooms, yeasts, smuts, molds, etc. They lack chlorophyll. (12 Dec 1998) |