Science / Psychiatry Glossary

Causalgia: A sensation of intense pain of either organic or psychological origin.

Central Aphasia: difficult in arranging words in their correct sequence

Central Nervous System (CNS): The brain and spinal cord. The CNS is responsible for coordinating the activities of all parts of the brain and spinal cord.

Cerea Flexibilitas: The waxy flexibility often present in catatonic schizophrenia in which the patients arm or leg remains in the position in which it is placed.

Cerebrovascular Ischaemia: A reduction in oxygen reaching the brain as a result of obstruction of the blood supply or inadequate blood flow.

CGI: Clinical Global Impression - an assessment tool for the evaluation of drug treatment effects on disease symptoms.

Chlorpromazine: A typical antipsychotic.

Chronic Schizophrenia: (kron-ik skiz-o-fre-ne-ah) A disorder in which the symptoms of schizophrenia persist long-term.

Circumstantiality: slowed thinking incorporating unnecessary trivial details. Eventually the goal of the thought is reached

Clanging: speech in which words are chosen because of their sounds rather than their meanings. It includes rhyming and punning

Classical Conditioning: Elicitation of a response by a stimulus that normally does not elicit that response. The response is one that is mediated primarily by the autonomic nervous system (such as salivation or a c . . . View Full Definition

Climacteric: Menopausal period in women. Sometimes used to refer to the corresponding age period in men. Also called involutional period.

Clouding Of Consciousness: the patient is drowsy and does not react completely to stimuli. there is disturbance of attention, concentration, memory, orientation and thinking.

Clozapine: A drug treatment for schizophrenia, which was the prototype atypical antipsychotic. The ‘gold standard’ for truly treatment refractory illness but regular blood monitoring is required.

Coenestopathic State: localized distortion of body awareness

Cognitive: Pertaining to thoughts or thinking. Cognitive disorders are disorders of thinking, for example, schizophrenia.

Cognitive Dysfunction: A negative symptom of schizophrenia resulting in impairments of attention, memory, concentration and hearing.

Comorbidity: The simultaneous appearance of two or more illnesses, such as the co-occurrence of schizophrenia and substance abuse or of alcohol dependence and depression. The association may reflect a ca . . . View Full Definition

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