Micozzi: Fundamentals of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 6th Edition Glossary 5-HT 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) 5-HTP 5-Hydroxytryptophan 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) Amino acid precursor to the neurotransmitter serotonin and a metabolite of tryptophan AB design A simple type of randomized experiment that enables, for example, an active intervention (A) and a control (B) to be compared with scientific rigor Abiiru Ritual specialist/s Absolute chance The notion that at the quantum level Nature is fundamentally unpredictable. For instance, the time when a radioactive substance will decay is unpredictable, and the description of such events is completely statistical in character. Accommodation The “tuning out” of repetitive, intrusive stimuli Acetylcholine A biogenic amine and neurotransmitter ACTH Adrenocorticotropic hormone Action potential Brief increase in positive potential within a nerve relative to that outside it, when initial stimulus exceeds a certain threshold. Action potentials propagate along the nerve fiber. Active information Information contained within Bohm’s quantum potential. Such information has its own activity. ADHD Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder A-field Magnetic vector potential Copyright © 2019 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.. Glossary 2 Agakeecuru Little old woman harboring Death in her womb AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome AIDS-related dementia complex A progressive primary encephalopathy caused by infection with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1); it involves principally the subcortical white matter and deep gray nuclei and is manifested by a variety of cognitive, motor, and behavioral abnormalities. Called also AIDS dementia complex, AIDS encephalopathy, HIV encephalitis, HIV encephalopathy, HIV-related encephalopathy. Aikido (合気道) Japanese martial art, literally ‘the way of unifying (with) life energy’ Ajna आज (‘command’), the sixth chakra, between the eyebrows AK Applied kinesiology Alarm point前募穴(‘front mu point’) Acupuncture meridian point on the front of the body that, when tender, indicates that the associated organ is out of balance; used together with muscle testing to detect the sequence of meridians underpinning a particular state of distress Alexander technique A bodywork technique that uses psychophysical reeducation to correct dysfunctional habits of posture and movement, based on the principle that human movement is most fluid when the head leads and the spine follows, so as to improve postural balance, coordination, and breathing function; relieve stress and chronic pain; and improve general well-being Algorithm Term used by Roger Callahan to refer to commonly occurring meridian sequences underpinning particular states of distress; different states of distress are associated with different algorithms Copyright © 2019 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.. Glossary 3 Allometric In biology, refers to the observation that structural elements, such as branching networks of tubes found across various species, appear to obey the same geometrical rules and have therefore share common features in their spatial organization; in several instances, such networks have been shown to be fractal in nature; may also be used to describe growth of different parts within an organism at different rates, or the relations between these parts. (See also Fractal; Scale invariance). Allopathic Refers to orthodox medicine, where the therapeutic approach is to treat the symptoms of a disease with medication whose effect on the body is the opposite of that of the disease Allostasis Maintenance by an organism of internal physical or psychological stability by making changes during situations of challenge Alpha (all) Quantifies RR interval correlations over all computable timescales Alpha scaling exponent A nonlinear measure that quantifies the “landscape” of a complex fluctuation in terms of the correlation properties of successive values that make up its variation (see Alpha (all), Alpha-1, and Alpha-2); an Alpha value of 0.5 equates to a completely random fluctuation (white noise), whereas a value of 1.5 signifies a random walk fluctuation (Brownian noise) where successive values within the variability series are correlated only with the preceding value; an Alpha value of 1 is indicative of a broad-bandwidth spectrum (1/f noise) that has scale-invariant or fractal properties with correlated behavior on multiple timescales; essentially, the higher the value of Alpha, the smoother the “landscape.” Copyright © 2019 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.. Glossary 4 Alpha waves Brain waves in the electroencephalogram that have a frequency of 8 to 13 per second; they are typical of the normal person awake and in a quiet resting state and occur principally in the occipital region. Alpha-1 Analogous to the “short-term memory” of a time series in that it quantifies RR- interval correlations over short timescales from 4 to 16 beats Alpha-2 Analogous to the “long-term memory” of a time series in that it quantifies RR- interval correlations over long timescales from 16 to 64 beats Amanyare Vaginal secretions Amata Milk AMI Apparatus for measuring the function of the meridians and the corresponding internal organs Ampère (milliampère, microampère) Unit of electric current Amplitude Magnitude of change of an oscillation Anahata अन (‘unbeaten’), the fourth chakra, in the center of the chest Anandamide An endocannabinoid produced in the brain Anma (按摩) Traditional form of Japanese massage ANS Autonomic nervous system Antibody An immunoglobulin molecule that has a specific amino acid sequence by virtue of which it interacts only with the antigen that induced its synthesis in cells of the lymphoid series (especially plasma cells), or with antigen closely related to it. Antibodies are classified in groups named according to their mode of action, such as agglutinins, bacteriolysins, hemolysins, opsonins, precipitins, and others. (See Immunoglobulin.) Copyright © 2019 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.. Glossary 5 Antigen (Ag) Any substance capable, under appropriate conditions, of inducing a specific immune response and of reacting with the products of that response, that is, with specific antibody or specifically sensitized T lymphocytes, or both. Antigens may be soluble substances, such as toxins and foreign proteins, or particulate, such as bacteria and tissue cells; however, only the portion of the protein or polysaccharide molecule known as the antigenic determinant combines with antibody or a specific receptor on a lymphocyte. AOM Acupuncture and Oriental medicine Apoptosis Programmed cell death Applied kinesiology Term developed by chiropractor George Goodheart; muscle testing to detect weaknesses in specific muscles that reflect imbalances within the body Arrhythmia (1) A disturbance in or loss of regular rhythm. (2) Especially, any variation from the normal rhythm of the heartbeat; it may be an abnormality of the rate, regularity, or site of impulse origin or the sequence of activation. The term encompasses abnormal regular and irregular rhythms as well as loss of rhythm. ART Antiretroviral therapy Asthenia Lack or loss of strength and energy; weakness ATP Adenosine triphosphate, the main intracellular energy storage and transfer molecule Attractor A dynamic behavior pattern under the influence of two or more variables; attractors can be depicted graphically in two- or three-dimensional space in the form of phase space plots, which may be used to map the genesis and evolution of complex dynamic processes over time; a “strange attractor” exhibits nonlinear behavior Copyright © 2019 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.. Glossary 6 Autopoiesis (literally ‘self-creation’) the capacity of an organism for self-renewal or self- organization on structural, functional, and cognitive levels Ayurveda A classical system of medicine founded in the Indus Valley civilization and currently practiced in India. It is distinguished by its emphasis on balance with the environment and interpersonal communication, and is based on the principles that humans are microcosmic representations of the entire universe and that health is the natural end of living in harmony with the environment. The goal of the practitioner is to maintain or restore the balance of the doshas. Therapy includes diet; herbal, color, and sound therapies; aromatherapy; application of medicated oils to the skin and massage; and meditation. B lymphocytes Bursa-dependent lymphocytes in birds and their counterparts in nonavian vertebrates including human beings; the cells primarily responsible for humoral immunity, the precursors of antibody-producing cells (plasma cells). Called also B cells. Baduan jin ‘Eight pieces of silken brocade,’ a qigong routine Bagua (八卦) An internal martial art similar to taiji quan Bandwidth Frequency range spanning a resonance, a measure of how precise a resonance is B-field Magnetic field of flux density B Bias The amount of a steady signal or quantity superimposed on an alternating one Bifurcation An abrupt change in the behavior and evolution of a complex system or process, deriving from relatively small changes in one or more parameters governing its behavior Copyright © 2019 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.. Glossary 7 Bioelectromagnetic-based therapy A therapy that involves unconventional use of known electromagnetic fields Bioenergy The energy of life Biofield Energy fields that purportedly surround and penetrate the human body but are as yet scientifically unproven Biofield therapy