Glossary A

Glossary A

Allopathy refers to a conventional or Western medicine that treats disease by the use of remedies to produce effects different from those produced by the disease under treatment.

Allophones refer to acoustically different speech sounds (phones) that are not functionally different (i.e., are the same phoneme) in a particular language. For example, [p] and [ph] are allophones of the phoneme /p/ in English.

Alloplastic adaptation refers to the form of adjustment which results from changes in the environment surrounding an individual.

Allostasis refers to the adaptive way in which the body changes its set points in response to changes in its life or changes in the environment; the ability to achieve stability through change. Allostasis is also the concept that different circumstances require different levels of physiological activation.

Allostatic load refers to the accumulating adverse effects of stress, in conjunction with pre-existing risks, on biological stress regulatory systems.

Allying means being in a friendly association; uniting or connecting with others in a helpful relationship.

Alogia refers to a form of speech disturbance found in schizophrenia.

Alpha 2-adrenergic agonist refers to a drug that reduces the activity of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine by stimulating certain receptors within the central nervous system (central presynaptic alpha 2-adrenergic receptors). The release of norepinephrine triggers action within the sympathetic nervous system. This part of the nervous system regulates certain involuntary activities during stress, such as increasing the heart rate, deepening breathing, and raising blood pressure. Norepinephrine also plays a role in regulating mood and emotion. The administration of Alpha 2-adrenergic agonists may result in a reduced heart rate and lowered blood pressure and have depressive or sedative effects.