Category: W
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Wernicke’s aphasia
Loss of the ability to comprehend language coupled with production of inappropriate language. Also known as receptive aphasia. Wernicke aphasia is characterized by the inability to comprehend speech or to produce meaningful speech following lesions to the posterior cortex. Individuals with Wernicke aphasia rarely experience muscular weakness affecting one side of the body, or hemiparesis.…
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Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome
A disease of central nervous system (CNS) metabolism due to a lack of vitamin B1 (thiamine) seen in chronic alcoholism. wernicke’s encephalopathy is the acute phase of the disease; korsakoff’s syndrome is the chronic phase. Wernicke’s encephalopathy features irregularities of eye movements, incoordination, impaired thinking, and often sensorimotor deficits. Korsakoff’s syndrome is characterized by confabulation…
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Wellbutrin
Brand name for the atypical antidepressant drug bupropion.
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Waxy flexibility
A symptom often present in catatonic schizophrenia, in which the patient’s arm or leg remains in the position in which it is placed. Also known as cerea flexibilitas. A characteristic of a catatonic state in which a patient’s limbs can be moved into a variety of positions where they are maintained for unusually long periods…
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Worker’s compensation
Insurance that provides medical and disability coverage for employees who sustain job-related injuries. A payment or payments made to an employee injured or disabled on the job. In most states, after a qualifying medical examination, an employee is certified as having specific functional impairments as the result of a documented injury. A predetermined amount of…
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Whole-part method
A learning process in which the individual needs to see the whole picture before visualizing individual concepts.
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Water tempo
An appropriate rate of speed used in the aquatic environment to allow for slower reaction.
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Water-specific movements
Movements that can be performed safely in water but are impossible to perform on land or are considered high risk.
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Water-soluble vitamins
Dissolve easily in water and, in general, any excess is excreted in the urine. Because they are not readily stored, consistent daily intake is important. The groups of vitamins identified as C and B complex and are soluble in water, fat-soluble vitamins. These comprise all the vitamins of the B-group, and vitamin C. Vitamins able…
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Water
Essential nutrient class needed by the body. The ultimate source of water was an Indo-European word pronounced something like wodor, which gave rise to dozens of other words in other languages. In Greek, wodor became hudor, which gave rise in the thirteenth century to the English hydro, now used in words such as hydro-electric. In…