Fröhlich’s syndrome

a disorder caused by underfunctioning of the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland (hypopituitarism), often because of tumors on the hypothalamus. Major symptoms are underdeveloped genital organs and secondary sexual characteristics, general sluggishness, and obesity; in some cases, those with Fröhlich’s syndrome exhibit polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (frequent consumption of liquids), and intellectual disabilities. Also called Launois–le Cleret syndrome. [Alfred Fröhlich (1871–1953), Austrian neurologist]

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Psychology term of the day

January 26th 2025

congenital oculomotor apraxia

a condition, present at birth, in which a child is unable to fixate objects normally (see oculomotor apraxia). It is characterized by the absence of saccades and smooth-pursuit eye movements in the horizontal plane, but vertical eye movements are preserved: Children with this condition are often mistakenly thought to be blind. Between the ages of 4 and 6 months, they develop thrusting, horizontal head movements, sometimes blinking prominently or rubbing their eyelids when they attempt to change fixation. The cause of congenital oculomotor apraxia is unknown, but there is usually an improvement with age.