Clinical Diagnosis · Nervous System · Hard
Cataplexy
Meaning: Sudden, brief loss of muscle tone triggered by strong emotion such as laughter, while the person stays conscious.
In practice: Whenever she laughed hard her knees buckled, a classic description of cataplexy.
Quick check
Two questions on related clinical diagnosis words.
Which word means: A deficiency of oxygen reaching the body's tissues.
Answer: Hypoxia
Which word means: A fungal infection of the nails causing thickening, discolouration and crumbling.
Answer: Onychomycosis
Words like cataplexy come up in the daily game
One medical word a day, then a quick three-question quiz. Free on iPhone, or play in your browser on Android and computer.