Da Costa’s syndrome

an anxiety state identified in soldiers during the American Civil War (1861–1865) in which heart palpitations were the most prominent symptom. It is now recognized as a form of panic disorder observed in soldiers during the stress of combat and marked by fatigue, heart palpitations, chest pain, and breathing difficulty. See also combat stress reaction; effort syndrome. [Jacob Méndes Da Costa (1833–1900), U.S. surgeon]

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

pause

n. in linguistics, a rest or delay in speech. Short (often barely distinguishable) pauses are used to mark the juncture between linguistic units, such as syllables, words, and sentences, whereas longer pauses may be used for deliberate effect or may indicate psychological activity in the speaker. The analysis of the location of pauses in speech is an active area of research. —pausal adj.