Glossary

Absorption. The rate at which the drug is infused into the blood stream.

Addiction. The behavioral pattern of continued use of the drug without actually needing it for beneficial purposes.

Adverse side effects. The physiological behavioral and/or cognitive reactions to the medication that are harmful to the child or adolescent.

Agonist. A drug that attaches to receptor and produces actions that mimics those of an endogenous transmitter.

Antagonist. A drug that attaches to a receptor and blocks the action of either an endogenous transmitter or an agonist drug.

Antidepressant. A drug that is useful in treating depressed patients but does not produce stimulant effects in normal persons.

Antipsychotic drugs. A class of psychoactive drugs that have the ability to calm psychotic states and make the psychotic patient more manageable.

Anxiolytic. A drug used to relieve the symptoms associated with anxiety and related disorders. Classically, refers to the benzodiazepines.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). A learning and behavioral disability characterized by reduced attention span and hyperactivity.

Automatic. The part of the nervous system that is functionally independent of thought control (involuntary).

Autonomic nervous system. The portion of the peripheral nervous system that controls or regulates the visceral, or automatic, functions of the body (e.g., heart rate and blood pressure).

Biotransformation. The breaking down of the drug into metabolites that are water-soluble.

Brand name. A unique name licensed to one manufacturer of a drug. Contrasts with generic name, the name under which any manufacturer sells a drug.

Central nervous system (CNS). The brain and spinal cord.

Comorbid disorder. A psychiatric disorder that coexists with a second psychiatric disorder (e.g., anxiety and depressive disorder).

Cross tolerance. A condition in which tolerance of one drug results in a lessened response to another drug.

Distribution. The absorption and movement of the medication throughout the body to various sites of action that the drug is designed to influence.

Dose-response relation. The relation between drug doses and the response elicited at each dose level.

Drug. The chemical substance used for its effects on bodily processes.

Drug absorption. The mechanism by which a drug reaches the bloodstream from the skin, lungs, stomach, intestinal tract, or muscle.

Drug administration. The procedures through which a drug enters the body (oral administration of tablets or liquids, inhalation of powders, injection of sterile liquids, and so on).

Drug dependence. A state in which the use of a drug is necessary for either physical or psychological well being.

Drug interaction. The modification of the action of one drug by the concurrent or prior administration of another drug.

Drug tolerance. A state of progressively decreasing responsiveness to a drug.

DSM-IV. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (1994), a publication of the American Psychiatric Association.

Edema. The swelling of body tissues due to accumulation of fluid in the cells.

Generic name. A name that identifies a specific chemical entity (without specifically describing the chemical). Often marketed under different brand names by multiple manufacturers.

Half-life. The amount of time it takes for the body to reduce the amount of drug by 50%.

Major tranquilizer. A drug used in the treatment of psychotic states.

MAO inhibitor (MAOI). A drug that inhibits the activity of the enzyme monoamine oxidase.

Mechanism of action. The chemical interaction of the drug and various physiological dimensions of the body.

Minor tranquilizer. A sedative-hypnotic drug used primarily for use in the treatment of anxiety.

Monoamine oxidase (MAO). The enzyme capable of metabolizing norepinephrine, dopamine, and serotonin to inactive products.

Multiple drug therapy. The prescribing of two or more medications for the same disorder or problem.

Neurotransmitter. An endogenous chemical released by one neuron that alters the electrical activity of another neuron.

Pharmacokinetics. The study of the factors that influence the absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion of a drug.

Physical dependence. The actual biological or physiological status of a drug to the individual.

Placebo. A pharmacologically inert substance that may elicit a significant reaction largely because of the mental 'set" of the patient or the physical setting in which the drug is taken.

Polypharmacy. The application of two drugs simultaneously to manage the same or different disorders.

Potency. Measure of drug activity expressed in terms of the amount required to produce an effect of given intensity. Potency varies inversely with the amount of drug required to produce this effect-the more potent the drug, the lower the amount required to produce the effect.

Psychoactive drug. A chemical substance that alters mood or behavior as a result of alterations in the functioning of the brain.

Psychological dependence. A compulsion to use a drug for its pleasurable effects. Such dependence may lead to a compulsion to misuse a drug.

Psychopharmacotherapy. The clinical treatment of psychiatric disorders with drugs.

Risk-to-benefit ratio. An assessment of the risks and benefits that may accrue from administration of a drug.

Side effect. A drug-induced effect that accompanies the primary effect for which the drug is administered.

Tachycardia. An abnormally rapid heart rate.

Therapeutic Index. The ratio of median lethal dose of a drug to its median effective dose: expressed as therapeutic index = median lethal dose/median effective dose.

Titration. The adjustment of the drug dosage so that it has a desired effect.

Tolerance. The effect of a particular dosage of medication that no longer has a beneficial or positive effect. It can also refer to a higher dosage level necessary to produce the same effect of a medication.

Toxic effect. A drug-induced effect either temporarily or permanently deleterious to any organ or system of an animal or person.