cold, common A contagious viral upper respiratory tract infection. The common cold can be caused by many different types of viruses, and the body can never build up resistance to all of them. For this reason, colds are a frequent and recurring problem. Going out into cold weather has no effect on causing a cold….
COLD Chronic obstructive lung disease.
colchicine A plant substance that is used in clinical medicine for the treatment of the inflammation, such as from gouty arthritis, and in the laboratory to arrest cells during cell division by disrupting the spindles so that their chromosomes can be visualized.
coitus interruptus Sexual intercourse in which, as a birth-control measure, the male attempts to withdraw the penis before ejaculation. It is not usually an effective means of birth control because sperm are present in preejaculate fluid produced during intercourse. See also birth control.
coitus Sexual intercourse.
coinsurance See copayment.
cohort In a clinical research trial, a group of study participants or patients.
Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary science that draws on many fields, including neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, computer science, artificial intelligence, and linguistics. The purpose of cognitive science is to develop models that help explain human perception, thinking, and learning with the premise that the mind is an information processor. This processor receives, stores, retrieves, transforms, and…
cognitive science The study of the mind.
cognitive dulling Loss of mental faculties; difficulty in thinking logically or quickly. Cognitive dulling can occur due to a medical condition or as a side effect of medication.
cognitive disturbance Disruption of one’s ability to think logically.
cognitive disability A broad term used to describe such diverse conditions as mental retardation, thought disturbances, and neurological conditions that chronically affect a certain type of perception or mental ability.