Passive movement Health Dictionary

Health promotion and disease prevention initiatives which do not require the direct involvement of the individual (e.g. fluoridation programmes) are termed “passive”.... passive intervention

This is characterised by the presence of rapid eye movements and a reduction in muscle tone. Cerebral cortical activity is prominent and its blood ?ow increased. This activity is, however, di?erent from wakefulness and may cause irregular movements of the body as well as of the eyes. Most dreams occur in REM sleep: these may represent a process of reorganising mental associations after the period of wakefulness. The analysis of the content of dreams has been subject to a variety of interpretations, but no consensus view has evolved.

Physiological changes, such as a fall in temperature and blood pressure, take place just before sleep and continue during the early stages of NREM sleep. There is an intrinsic rhythm of sleep which in most subjects has a periodicity of around 25 hours. This can be modi?ed by external factors to bring it into line with the 24-hour day. Two peaks of a tendency to sleep have been identi?ed, and these usually occur between around 14.00–18.00 hours, and 02.00–06.00 hours. There are, however, di?erences according to age, in that, for instance, infants sleep for most of the 24 hours; during adolescence there is also an increase in the duration of sleep. Sleep requirements fall later in life, but there are wide genetic di?erences in the amount of sleep that people require and also the time at which they fall asleep most readily.

The internal clock can be disturbed by a variety of external factors which include irregular sleeping habits due, for instance, to shift work or jet lag. Sleep is also more likely to occur after physical exertion, reading and social activity. The duration and intensity of exposure to light can also modify sleep profoundly. Light promotes wakefulness and is the main factor that adjusts the 25-hour internal rhythm to the 24hour daily cycle. Neural connections from the retina of the EYE act on an area in the brain called the supra-chiasmatic nucleus which stimulates the pineal gland which produces MELATONIN. This is thought to trigger the range of neurological and metabolic processes that characterise sleep.... rapid-eye-movement (rem) sleep

See faeces, abnormal.... bowel movements, abnormal

Uncontrolled movements of the body. These movements occur spontaneously and may be slow and writhing (see athetosis); rapid, jerky, and random (see chorea); or predictable, stereotyped, and affecting 1 part of the body, usually the face (see tic). They may be a feature of a disease (for example, Huntington’s disease) or a side effect of certain drugs used to treat psychiatric conditions.... involuntary movements

Bodily movements include skeletal movements and movements of soft tissues and body organs. All movement is brought about by the actions of muscles and may be voluntary, involuntary, or a reflex action.

All voluntary skeletal movements are initiated in the part of the cerebrum (main mass of the brain) called the motor cortex. Signals are sent down the spinal cord along nerve fibres, and from there along separate nerve fibres to the appropriate muscles. Control relies on information supplied by sensory nerve receptors, in the muscles and elsewhere, that record the position of the different parts of the body and the amount of contraction in each muscle. This information is integrated in specific regions of the brain (including the cerebellum and basal ganglia) that control the coordination, initiation, and cessation of movement.

Skeletal movements can also occur as simple reflexes in response to certain sensory warning signals; the movement is automatic and less controlled, involving far fewer nerve connections.

Some body movements do not involve the skeleton. For example, eye and tongue movements are brought about by contractions of muscles that are attached to soft tissues. These movements may be voluntary or reflex.

Movements of the internal organs are involuntary; they include the heartbeat and peristalsis.... movement

Involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke by people who do not smoke. Passive smoking has been shown to increase the risks of chest and ear infections in children and of tobaccoinduced cancers in adults.... passive smoking

adj. the ethical distinction between actively doing something to a patient and simply allowing it to happen or failing to act (the acts and omissions doctrine). For instance, doctors should act to save life if possible, but when death is inevitable it is permissible to let it happen, although the prohibition against killing would not allow active intervention. See also dying.... active/passive

(EMDR) a type of psychotherapy used for the treatment of significant anxiety or distress caused by traumatic events or in the context of *post-traumatic stress disorder. The aim is to separate the emotional from the actual memory of the event in order to reduce the anxiety related to the memory.... eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy