nephrogenic diabetes insipidus

a form of diabetes in which the kidneys are unable to produce a normal concentration of urine because the kidney tubules do not respond to vasopressin produced by the pituitary gland. Individuals with this disorder drink enormous amounts of water and excrete large volumes of dilute urine. The disorder can be critical in infants, who cannot communicate their thirst and therefore suffer water depletion, which may lead to brain damage and intellectual disability before the cause can be diagnosed.

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Psychology term of the day

January 19th 2025

novelty seeking

1. a personality trait characterized by a strong interest in having new experiences; it is often associated with risk-taking behavior, and hence the term may be used synonymously with sensation seeking. It is also increasingly the preferred term for neophilia.

2. see Cloninger’s psychobiological model of personality; Temperament and Character Inventory.