Pathology Flashcards
Disease
def: a biologic or psychologic alteration that results in malfunction of a body organ or system
usually describes a biomedical condition and can occur without awareness
Illness
def: sickness or deviation from a healthy state; the perception and response of the person not being well
Acute Illness
def: refers to an illness or disease that has a relatively rapid onset and short duration
can include physical symptoms, cognitive awareness, and emotional response
Chronic Illness
def: permanent impairment or disability with a need for special rehab or long-term medical management
potential for decrease in quality of life
Premorbid
before illness
Pathology
the branch of medicine that investigates the essential nature of disease
aka the structural and functional changes in the body caused by disease or trauma
Clinical Pathology
the pathology applied to the solution of clinical problems
Pathogenesis
the development of unhealthy conditions or disease
Cognitive Disability: Executive Functions
def: described as cortical functions involved in formulating goals and planning, initiating, monitoring, and maintaining behavior
controlled by the right hemisphere (can also be a result of apraxia and/or unilateral neglect)
impairment: a person with executive function deficits typically appear inert or apathetic (lack of involvement)
Cognitive Disability: Behavior
can include overt motor behavior, affective, and social behavior
Cognitive Disability: Complex Problem Solving
def: the effective handling of new information
impairment: concrete thinking, inability to distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant, erroneous application of rules, and difficulty generalizing from one situation to another
Cognitive Disability: Information Processing
def: the speed with which information travels from one part of the brain to another
orchestration of information (complex problem solving) vs. efficient transfer of information (___ ___)
Cognitive Disability: Memory Deficits
result from a failure to store or retrieve information; typically acquired rather than developmental
ex: client may appear to be suffering from a memory dysfunction when actually the decreased attention span is a result of depression that has reduced learning
Cognitive Disability: Learning Disability
def: difficulty acquiring information in specific domains in a person with normal or near-normal intelligence
ex: spelling, arithmetic, reading, and visual-spatial relationships
Activity
the execution of specific tasks
limitations are difficulties a person might have in executing activities
