| sleep spindle | The electroencephalographic record of 14-per-second bursts of wave frequency seen on EEG examination. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| sleep stages | Periods of sleep manifested by changes in eeg activity and certain behavioural correlates; includes stage 1: sleep onset, drowsy sleep; stage 2: light sleep; stages 3 and 4: delta sleep, light sleep, deep sleep, telencephalic sleep. (12 Dec 1998) |
| sleep terror | A disorder allied to nightmare, occurring in children, in which the child awakes screaming with fright, the distress persisting for a time during a state of saemiconsciousness. Synonym: pavor nocturnus, sleep terror. (05 Mar 2000) |
| delta sleep-inducing peptide | <chemical> A nonapeptide that is found in neurons, peripheral organs, and plasma. This neuropeptide induces mainly delta sleep in mammals. In addition to sleep, the peptide has been observed to affect electrophysiological activity, neurotransmitter levels in the brain, circadian and locomotor patterns, hormonal levels, psychological performance, and the activity of neuropharmacological drugs including their withdrawal. Chemical name: Delta sleep-inducing peptide (12 Dec 1998) |
| obstructive sleep apnoea | A form of sleep apnoea which occurs as the result of a physical occlusion of the oropharyngeal airway during sleep. (27 Sep 1997) |
| electric sleep | A condition of convulsions and unconsciousness induced by the passage of an electric current through the brain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| electrotherapeutic sleep therapy | Treatment by inducing sleep by means of nonconvulsive electric stimulation of the brain. (05 Mar 2000) |
| twilight sleep | Formerly a method of producing sleep for delivery by a combination of morphine and scopolamine. (05 Mar 2000) |
| light sleep | A condition of half sleep. Synonym: light sleep. Origin: dys-+ G. Nystaxis, drowsiness (05 Mar 2000) |
| accelerated phase of leukaemia | Refers to chronic myelogenous leukaemia that is progressing. The number of immature, abnormal white blood cells in the bone marrow and blood is higher than in the chronic phase, but not as high as in the blast phase. (12 Dec 1998) |
| acceleration phase | <cell biology, cell culture> A period of increasing growth before the log phase in a culture of microbes. After the culture is started on a medium, at first there is no growth (the lag phase) and then the microbes start to gradually grow (acceleration phase) until they reach a constant maximum rate of growth (log phase). (15 Jan 1998) |
| acute-phase protein | <haematology> These plasma proteins (in addition to fibrinogen) increase 25% or more in response to inflammation and injury are under direct control of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (hepatocyte-stimulating factor). Other proteins which increase are ceruloplasmin, C3 and C4 which increase 50% or more; alpha-1 acid glycoprotein, alpha-1 antitrypsin, haptoglobin and fibrinogen (the major determinant of viscosity 1 ) which increase two- to fourfold; C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum amyloid A which increase several hundred-fold. Despite long-held clinical opinion to the contrary, available data indicate that neither ESR nor measurement of specific acute-phase reactants are useful in excluding underlying infection or inflammation regardless of the pretest probability. These proteins are secreted into the blood in increased or decreased quantities by hepatocytes in response to trauma, inflammation, or disease. They can serve as inhibitors or mediators of the inflammatory processes. Certain acute-phase proteins have been used to diagnose and follow the course of diseases or as tumour markers. See also: amyloid, c-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, viscosity. (25 Jun 1999) |
| acute-phase reaction | <immunology, rheumatology> Refers to the changes in synthesis of certain proteins within the serum during an inflammatory response, which provides rapid protection for the host against microorganisms via non-specific defense mechanisms. It consists of fever, an increase in inflammatory humoral factors, and an increased synthesis by hepatocytes of a number of proteins or glycoproteins usually found in the plasma; the reaction is mediated by endogenous pyrogens, the hypothalamus, adrenal hormones, and other factors. (12 Jul 2000) |
| anal phase | In psychoanalytic personality theory, the stage of psychosexual development, occurring when a child is between 1 and 3 years, during which activities, interests, and concerns are centreed around the anal zone. (05 Mar 2000) |
| aqueous phase | The water portion of a system consisting of two liquid phase's, one mainly water, the other a liquid immiscible with water (e.g., benzene, ether). (05 Mar 2000) |