athetosis

n. slow, involuntary, writhing movements of the body, particularly the extremities such as the fingers and toes, caused by damage or degeneration of the basal ganglia. —athetoid adj. —athetotic adj.

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Psychology term of the day

February 24th 2025

functional plasticity

the ability of the brain to adapt to loss of or damage to tissue by transferring all or part of the functions previously performed by those injured areas to other regions. The degree to which the brain is able to do this successfully has been called functional reserve and is thought to depend on several factors, including age and the health status of the brain.