Psychiatry & Psychology

Hypervigilance refers to an heightened, sustained state of alertness and attention, often coupled with an exaggerated scanning of the environment for threats. It implies persistent monitoring and rapid responsiveness, sometimes to an excessive degree, that can impact focus and well-being. In psychology and everyday speech, it describes a sustained readiness and heightened sensory vigilance beyond typical alertness.

Hypnopompic refers to the transitional state between sleep and wakefulness, especially the period just before fully waking when faint sensory experiences or hallucinations may occur. It is the inverse of hypnagogic, which occurs as one falls asleep. The term is often used in psychology and dream research to describe phenomena surrounding early morning perception and consciousness.

Hypnotherapy is the use of hypnosis as a therapeutic method to influence thoughts, feelings, or behaviors, typically combined with suggestion techniques. It aims to facilitate change in areas such as anxiety, sleep, pain, or habit modification. The practice relies on focused attention, heightened suggestibility, and structured therapeutic guidance rather than spontaneous trance phenomena.

Hypomania is a milder form of mania characterized by elevated mood, increased energy, and heightened activity that is noticeable but not severely impairing. It typically lasts several days and can include rapid speech, grandiose ideas, and reduced need for sleep. It sits at the threshold between normal elevated mood and full-blown mania, often affecting judgment and behavior in subtle ways.

A region of the brain located below the thalamus, forming part of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and regulating autonomic functions, temperature, hunger, and circadian rhythms. It plays a central role in integrating endocrine and nervous system signals to maintain homeostasis. The term denotes the hypothalamus, a bilateral structure connected to various brain systems. It is essential in physiology and neuroendocrinology research.

Hysteria refers to an exaggerated or uncontrollable emotional response, often characterized by overexcited or extreme irrational behavior. In psychology and medicine, it historically described certain physical symptoms without a clear organic cause, though its usage is now largely historical and pejorative. The term also denotes a state of widespread public excitement or panic unrelated to physiological disease.

Identification refers to the process or act of establishing who someone is or recognizing something as true or valid. It can also denote a document or item used to prove identity. In linguistics, it can denote a process of identifying features, categories, or correspondences. The term is used across contexts from law enforcement to psychology, administration, and technology.

intrapsychic is an adjective relating to the inner mental life or processes of a person, especially as they pertain to subconscious motivations and conflicts. It is used in psychology and literary analysis to describe phenomena, dynamics, or explanations that occur within the mind rather than observable behavior. The term combines intra- (inside) with psychic (mind), and is typically found in academic or clinical discourse.

Limbic is an adjective relating to the limbic system, a complex set of brain structures involved in emotion, motivation, and memory. In neuroscience contexts it describes regions, pathways, or processes associated with affect, arousal, and behavioral regulation. The term is used across research, clinical, and educational writing to specify limbic-related functions and disorders.

Manic is an adjective describing a state of abnormally elevated mood, energy, or activity, often with impulsive or agitated behavior. It can refer to a clinical, diagnostically related phase of bipolar disorder, or more broadly to someone acting frenetically excited. The term carries a strong, sometimes negative, connotation when used outside medical contexts.

narcissism is a personality tendency characterized by excessive self-focus, grandiosity, and a lack of empathy for others. It describes an enduring pattern of thinking and behaving that centers on the self, often accompanied by a preoccupation with one's appearance or abilities. The term is used in psychology, popular discourse, and clinical contexts to discuss individuals who display persistent self-admiring or self-centered traits.

A neologism is a newly coined word, expression, or term that may be in the process of entering common use. It often results from blending or repurposing existing morphemes and can reflect cultural, technological, or scientific developments. In linguistics, neologisms are studied to understand how language evolves and adapts to new concepts and needs.

Neurasthenia is a historical medical diagnosis describing chronic fatigue and low energy with mental and physical exhaustion. It denotes a condition of nervous debility, often with anxiety or irritability, and was widely used in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today it’s rarely diagnosed, with overlapping symptoms seen in mood and anxiety disorders.

neuroanatomy is the branch of neuroscience that studies the structure of the nervous system, including the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. It combines detailed anatomical descriptions with functional implications, helping explain how neural circuits support sensation, movement, and cognition. This expert field integrates anatomy, microscopy, and physiology to map neural organization from cells to systems.

A neuroleptic is a type of antipsychotic medication that primarily acts to reduce agitation, mania, and psychosis by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain. The term also describes drugs designed to produce a calming, tranquilizing effect. In pharmacology, neuroleptics are used to manage symptoms of schizophrenia and similar disorders, often with notable side effects.

Neuropathology is the medical specialty that studies diseases of the nervous system tissue, including brain and nerve disorders, through laboratory and autopsy findings. It combines neurology with pathology to diagnose, characterize disease processes, and understand mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels. This field informs prognosis and research into neurological conditions.

Neuroplasticity refers to the brain’s ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections throughout life, enabling learning, adaptation, and recovery after injury. It involves structural and functional changes at synapses and circuits in response to experiences, practice, and environmental demands. This dynamic capability underpins skill acquisition, memory consolidation, and rehabilitation.

Neuropsychiatry is a branch of medicine that studies and treats disorders at the intersection of neurology and psychiatry, including brain-behavior relationships, diagnosis, and integrated care. It focuses on neurobiological factors underlying psychiatric symptoms and conditions, employing multidisciplinary assessment and treatment approaches. The term connotes both neurological and psychiatric expertise applied to complex clinical presentations.

Neuropsychology is the branch of psychology that studies how the brain’s structure and function influence behavior and cognitive processes. It integrates neurology and psychology to understand disorders, cognition, emotion, and how brain injuries affect thinking. Professionals in this field assess, diagnose, and research brain–behavior relationships using psycho- and neurobiological methods.

Neuroticism is a personality trait characterized by a tendency to experience negative emotions, including anxiety, moodiness, and emotional instability. It reflects how strongly individuals react to stress and perceive events, often correlating with susceptibility to worry and self-consciousness. In psychology, it is commonly measured as a dimension of temperament that affects behavior and mental health.

Neurotransmission is the process by which nerve cells communicate, involving the release, diffusion, and receptor binding of neurotransmitters at synapses. It encompasses presynaptic release, synaptic cleft diffusion, and postsynaptic receptor activation, enabling rapid chemical signaling that underpins nervous system function. The term is used across neuroscience, physiology, and pharmacology to describe how neurons convey signals to one another and to target cells.

A chemical that facilitates communication between neurons by transmitting signals across synapses. Neurotransmitters influence mood, cognition, and motor control and include substances like dopamine, serotonin, and glutamate. They are released from presynaptic neurons in response to electrical activity and bind to receptors on postsynaptic cells, shaping neural circuits and responses.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that relay signals between neurons across synapses, enabling neurotransmission in the brain and nervous system. They are released from one neuron, cross the synaptic gap, and bind to receptors on the next neuron to propagate or regulate signals. Understanding their action is central to neurobiology and psychopharmacology.

Obsessive describes a tendency to fixate on a person or thing, often to an extreme or compulsive degree. It denotes persistent preoccupation that can influence thoughts, behavior, and emotions, sometimes to the point of impairment. The term is commonly used in psychology, everyday speech, and pop culture to characterize intense focus or fixation.