distractibility Difficulty concentrating and focusing on tasks; attention is easily divert- ed by extraneous stimuli; difficulty maintaining goal-focused behavior, including both planning and completing tasks. Distractibility is a facet of the broad personality trait domain DISINHIBITION.
dysarthria A disorder of speech sound production due to structural or motor impair- ment affecting the articulatory apparatus. Such disorders include cleft palate, muscle
Glossary of Technical Terms 821 disorders, cranial nerve disorders, and cerebral palsy affecting bulbar structures (i.e., lower and upper motor neuron disorders).
dyskinesia Distortion of voluntary movements with involuntary muscle activity.
of depression, discontent, and in some cases indifference to the world around them.
dyssomnias Primary disorders of sleep or wakefulness characterized by INSOMNIA or
HYPERSOMNIA as the major presenting symptom. Dyssomnias are disorders of the amount, quality, or timing of sleep. Compare with PARASOMNIAS.
dysthymia Presence, while depressed, of two or more of the following: 1) poor appetite or overeating, 2) insomnia or hypersomnia, 3) low energy or fatigue, 4) low self—esteem, 5) poor concentration or difficulty making decisions, or 6) feelings of hopelessness.
dystonia Disordered tonicity of muscles.
eccentricity Odd, unusual, or bizarre behavior, appearance, and / or speech having strange and unpredictable thoughts; saying unusual or inappropriate things. Eccentric- ity is a facet of the broad personality trait domain PSYCHOTICISM.
echolalia The pathological, parrotlike, and apparently senseless repetition (echoing) of a word or phrase just spoken by another person.
echopraxia Mimicking the movements of another.
emotional lability Instability of emotional experiences and mood; emotions that are easily aroused, intense, and/ or out of proportion to events and circumstances. Emo- tional lability is a facet of the broad personality trait domain NEGATIVE AFFECTIVITY.
empathy Comprehension and appreciation of others’ experiences and motivations; tol- erance of differing perspectives; understanding the effects of own behavior on others.
episode (episodic) A specified duration of time during which the patient has developed or experienced symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria for a given mental disorder. De- pending on the type of mental disorder, episode may denote a certain number of symptoms or a specified severity or frequency of symptoms. Episodes may be further differentiated as a single (first) episode or a recurrence or relapse of multiple episodes if appropriate.
ings of well-being, elation, happiness, excitement, and joy.
fatigability Tendency to become easily fatigued. See also FATIGUE.
fatigue A state (also called exhaustion, tiredness, lethargy, languidness, languor, lassi- tude, and listlessness) usually associated with a weakening or depletion of one’s phys- ical and / or mental resources, ranging from a general state of lethargy to a specific, work-induced burning sensation within one’s muscles. Physical fatigue leads to an in- ability to continue functioning at one’s normal level of activity. Although widespread in everyday life, this state usually becomes particularly noticeable during heavy exer- cise. Mental fatigue, by contrast, most often manifests as SOMNOLENCE (sleepiness).
fear An emotional response to perceived imminent threat or danger associated with urges to flee or fight.
ﬂashback A dissociative state during which aspects of a traumatic event are reexperi- enced as though they were occurring at that moment.
ﬂight of ideas A nearly continuous flow of accelerated speech with abrupt changes from topic to topic that are usually based on understandable associations, distracting stimuli, or plays on words. When the condition is severe, speech may be disorganized and incoherent.