Paralysis Resource Guide - (Page 308) GLOSSARY 4-AMINOPYRIDINE (4-AP): A drug that improves conduction of nerve impulses in some people, leading to functional gains and reduced spasticity; may cause seizures, convulsions or dizziness. Branded as Fampridine, awaiting FDA nod. ABDOMINAL BINDER: A wide elastic binder used to help prevent hypotension (drop in blood pressure). It is also used for cosmetic purposes, e.g., holding in the abdomen. ACTIVITY DEPENDENT PLASTICITY: The theory that physical activity triggers nervous system recovery. ACUTE: A stage of injury or stroke starting at the onset of symptoms. The opposite of chronic. shorthand for “activities of daily living,” e.g., dressing, eating, ADL: Rehab cooking. AMBULATION: A “walking” motion, often aided by braces and/or crutches. Using functional electrical stimulation (FES) to fire their leg muscles, people with paralysis can ambulate short distances. (ALS) A disorder involving the loss of use of muscles.The nerves controlling these muscles are destroyed. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS ANKYLOSIS: Loss of mobility in a joint caused by bony calcium deposits. ANOXIA: A state of almost no oxygen delivery to a cell, resulting in low energy production and possible death of the cell. ANTEGRADE CONTINENCE ENEMA: Facilitates movement of bowel by introducing an enema above the rectum by way of a stoma (opening) in the abdomen. ANTICHOLINERGIC: A type of drug prescribed to reduce spasms of smooth muscle, especially the bladder. ANTICOAGULANTS: A drug therapy used to prevent the formation of blood clots that can become lodged in cerebral arteries and cause strokes. ANTIPLATELET AGENTS: A type of anticoagulant drug therapy that prevents the formation of blood clots by preventing the accumulation of platelets that form the basis of blood clots; some common antiplatelets include aspirin and ticlopidine. APHASIA: The inability to understand or create speech, writing or language; generally due to damage to the speech centers of the brain. APOPTOSIS: A form of cell suicide; often called programmed cell death because it is triggered by a genetic signal, involves specific cell mechanisms, and is irreversible once initiated. 308
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