Medical Dictionary Definitions A-Z List
Medical Dictionary Definitions A - Z - «S»:
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Sleep, paroxysmal
Sleep, paroxysmal: A neurological disorder marked by a sudden recurrent uncontrollable compulsion to sleep. Also known as narcolepsy.
The disorder is often associated with cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone and paralysis of voluntary muscles associated with a strong emotion), sleep paralysis ...
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Sleep, rapid eye movement
Sleep, rapid eye movement: REM sleep is the portion of sleep when there are rapid eye movements (REMs).
Dreams occur during REM sleep. We typically have 3 to 5 periods of REM sleep per night. They occur at intervals of 1-2 hours and are quite variable in length. An episode of REM sleep may last 5...
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Sleep, REM
Sleep, REM: REM sleep is the portion of sleep when there are rapid eye movements (REMs).
Dreams occur during REM sleep. We typically have 3 to 5 periods of REM sleep per night. They occur at intervals of 1-2 hours and are quite variable in length. An episode of REM sleep may last 5 minutes or ove...
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Sleep, twilight
Sleep, twilight: A term applied to the combination of analgesia (pain relief) and amnesia (loss of memory) produced by a mixture of morphine and scopolamine ("scope") given by a hypodermic injection (an injection under the skin). The mixture of the two drugs created a state in which the woman, while...
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Sleep-disordered breathing
Sleep-disordered breathing: A condition characterized by repeated episodes of hypopnea (underbreathing) and apnea (not breathing) during sleep. A significant proportion of adults are thought to experience sleep-disordered breathing.
Sleep-disordered breathing can cause temporary elevations in bloo...
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Sleepiness, excessive daytime (EDS)
Sleepiness, excessive daytime (EDS): A neurological disorder marked by a sudden recurrent uncontrollable compulsion to sleep. Also known as narcolepsy. It is often associated with cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone and paralysis of voluntary muscles associated with a strong emotion), sleep par...
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Sleeping disease
Sleeping disease: A neurological disorder marked by a sudden recurrent uncontrollable compulsion to sleep. Also known as narcolepsy.
The disorder is often associated with cataplexy (a sudden loss of muscle tone and paralysis of voluntary muscles associated with a strong emotion), sleep paralysis (...
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Sleeping sickness, African
Sleeping sickness, African: See: African sleeping sickness....
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Sleeplessness
Sleeplessness: Insomnia. See also
Fatal familial insomnia....
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Sleepwalking
Sleepwalking: Purposeful moving, usually
but not always including walking, while in a deep stage of
sleep. Sleepwalking
occurs most frequently in children, particularly boys. Sedatives tend to
exacerbate rather than cure sleepwalking. The best measures are preventative:
ensure that the sleepw...
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Sliding hiatal hernia
Sliding hiatal hernia: Hiatal hernias are
categorized as being either sliding or para-esophageal.
Sliding hiatal hernias are those in which the junction of
the esophagus and stomach, referred to as the gastro-
esophageal junction, and part of the stomach protrude into
the chest. The junction may...
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Slipped disc
Slipped disc: Rupturing of the tissue that separates the
vertebral bones of the spinal column.
The center of the disc, which is called the nucleus, is soft,
springy and receives the shock of standing, walking, running, etc.
The outer ring of the disc, which is called the annulus (Latin for
ring...
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Slipped elbow
Slipped elbow: See: Nursemaid's elbow....
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Slipped spine
Slipped spine: See: Spondylolisthesis....
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Slipped vertebra
Slipped vertebra: See: Spondylolisthesis....
