Neurodivergent Glossary
ADHD and Autism
An easy way to understand the medical jargon of the neurodivergent world.
Brain and body
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the force of blood against the walls of the arteries, recorded as two numbers: the pressure when the heart beats and the pressure between beats.
Electroencephalogram (EEG)
An electroencephalogram, or EEG, is a test that records the brain's electrical activity through small sensors placed on the scalp, without needles or surgery.
Executive functions
Executive functions are the mental processes that manage other thinking: planning, starting tasks, holding information in mind, switching between tasks and regulating emotions and attention.
Hormone
A hormone is a chemical made by glands in the body and carried in the blood to other organs, where it changes how they work.
Inflammatory effect
An inflammatory effect is the body's immune response to injury, infection or irritation, which can cause swelling, redness, heat and pain in the affected area.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI, is a scan that uses a strong magnet and radio waves to make detailed pictures of organs and tissue, including the brain.
Neuroimaging
Neuroimaging means any technique that produces pictures of the brain's structure or activity, including MRI, functional MRI, CT and PET scans.
Neuronal plasticity (neuroplasticity)
Neuronal plasticity is the brain's ability to change its connections in response to learning, experience and injury, throughout life and especially in childhood.
Neurotransmitter
A neurotransmitter is a chemical that nerve cells release to pass signals to other nerve cells, muscles or glands, such as dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin.
Receptor
A receptor is a protein on a cell that a specific chemical such as a neurotransmitter or hormone attaches to, which changes the cell's activity.
Reuptake
Reuptake is the process where a nerve cell takes back a neurotransmitter it has released, which ends that signal.
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