thalamotomy

n. a neurosurgical technique in which a portion of the thalamus is destroyed. It is used primarily to relieve tremors in patients with Parkinson’s disease and to relieve pain. Developed in the 1940s for the treatment of severe, intractable mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, depression), the technique is sometimes used for that purpose today as well.

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Psychology term of the day

May 8th 2024

ontogeny

n. the biological origin and development of an individual organism from fertilization of the egg cell until death. Also called ontogenesis. Compare phylogeny. See also recapitulation theory. —ontogenetic adj.