Glossary

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F

Familial:

Occurring in clustes of families in which a large number of individuals are affected.

Fat:

A greasy material found in animal tissues and made from glycerol attached to three fatty acids.

Fatty Acid:

A long-chaln molecule made of carbon atoms and capped at the end with a carboxyl group (C00H).

Fatigue:

A feeling of tiredness or a sense of having low energy that may lead to a decrease in a person's ability to perform work or daily activities.

Feldenkrais:

Feldenkrais is a method of improving the body’s ability to function, learn, and change by increasing awareness of movement, posture, and breathing.

Ferritin:

A serum ferritin level is a blood test that measures the amount of ferritin in your cells. Ferritin is a protein that stores iron inside your cells so that your body can use the iron when it is needed. The amount of ferritin stored, or your serum ferritin level, reflects the amount of iron that is stored in your body. Symptoms of RLS have been shown to be increased in people who have low ferritin levels.

Festination:

Walking with a series of quick, small, shuffling steps as if hurrying forward to keep balance.

Fibrosis:

Build-up of fibrous tissue in an abnormal place in the body.

First-, second- and third-degree relatives:

First-degree relatives include your mother, father, sisters, brothers, sons, and daughters who are related by blood and not through adoption or marriage. Second-degree relatives are your aunts, grandmothers, uncles, and grandfathers. Third-degree relatives include your great-grandmothers, great-aunts, great-uncles, and first cousins.

Flaccid:

Lacking normal muscle tone; limp.

Flexion:

(1) A bent, curved posture. (2) The act of bending (as opposed to extending) a joint.

Flexor Muscle:

Any muscle that causes the bending of a limb or other body part.

Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

The FDA is a federal agency charged with ensuring that the food supply in the United States is safe and wholesome, that cosmetics are not harmful, and that medicines, medical devices, and radiation-emitting consumer products are safe and effective.

Free Radicals:

Unstable molecular fragments that can damage cells. One hypothesis holds that free radical formation in the substantia nigra causes the loss of nigral cells (leading to Parkinson's disease).

Freezing:

Temporary, involuntary inability to move.

Frequency:

Number of cycles or repetitions within a fixed unit of time such as the number of cycles per second (Hertz or Hz). For example, essential tremor is typically 4 to 12 Hz.

Friedreich's Ataxia:

Friedreich's ataxia is the most common autosomal recessively inherited type of ataxia. Like the autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias, the main symptoms are loss of coordination and unsteadiness of gait. Other systems may also be affected and people with Friedreich's ataxia should be monitored for heart disease and diabetes. The affected protein is called frataxin, and is thought to be involved in iron metabolism.

Froment's sign:

Increased resistance to passive movements of a limb that may be detected upon voluntary activity of another body part.

Frontotemporal Dementia:

An uncommon brain disorder characterised by personality change, and disordered thinking. Frontotemporal Dimentia selectively affects the frontal lobe of the brain and may extend backward to the temporal lobe. Frontotemporal Dementia Frontal may lead to apathy or conversely disinhibition, disordered high level thinking, perseveration, and personality change. The manifestation will depend on which part of the lobe is more affected dorsolateral or orbitomedial. Many routine dementia assessments do not test the frontal lobe.
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Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI):

A noninvasive, diagnostic scanning procedure that produces detailed, computerized images. The use of a "contrast agent" or dye enhances the detail of the images. Sequencing of these images may help physicians visualize the body's functioning, thus aiding differential diagnosis.

Functional Medicine:

Also called complementary medicine, integrative medicine, or natural medicine, this discipline focuses on using a holistic approach to analyze and treat interdependent systems of the body and to create a dynamic balance integral for good health.

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Document last modified: 04/22/09 12:19:30 PM