sensory deprivation

sensory deprivation
the state in which there is a major reduction in incoming sensory information. Prolonged sensory deprivation is damaging as the body depends for health and normal function on constant stimulation. The main input sensory channels are the eyes, ears, skin, and nose. If input from all of these is blocked, there is loss of the sense of reality, distortion of time and imagined space, hallucinations, bizarre thought patterns, and other indications of neurological dysfunction. Even minimal sensory deprivation in early childhood can have a serious effect on the future personality. An eye covered for a few months in infancy remains effectively blind for life. Early deprivation of normal hearing can produce severe intellectual and educational damage. Deprivation of the normal contact and stimulation provided for the baby by the mother can cause personality disturbance in later life.

* * *

partial to total deprivation of visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli, such as may be produced experimentally or by solitary confinement, loss of sight or hearing, paralysis, or even hospital bed rest; it may result in some combination of anxiety, irritability, boredom, loss of ability to concentrate and organize thoughts, increased suggestibility, delusions, panic, and unpleasant vivid hallucinations.

Medical dictionary. 2011.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Sensory deprivation — or perceptual isolation[1] is the deliberate reduction or removal of stimuli from one or more of the senses. Simple devices such as blindfolds or hoods and earmuffs can cut off sight and hearing respectively, while more complex devices can also… …   Wikipedia

  • sensory deprivation — the state in which there is a major reduction in incoming sensory information. Prolonged sensory deprivation is damaging as the body depends for health and normal function on constant stimulation. The main input sensory channels are the eyes,… …   The new mediacal dictionary

  • sensory deprivation experiments and hallucinations —    Sensory deprivation experiments are also known as isolation experiments. Both terms are used to denote an experimental study in which a test person is subjected to a drastically reduced and depatterned sensory input. Biomedical case reports of …   Dictionary of Hallucinations

  • sensory deprivation — noun a form of psychological torture inflicted by depriving the victim of all sensory input • Hypernyms: ↑torture, ↑torturing …   Useful english dictionary

  • Sensory Deprivation and Stimulation —    See Deprivation and Overstimulation …   Historical dictionary of shamanism

  • sensory deprivation — Psychiatry. the experimental or natural reduction of environmental stimuli, as by physical isolation or loss of eyesight, often leading to cognitive, perceptual, or behavioral changes, as disorientation, delusions, or panic. * * * …   Universalium

  • sensory deprivation — situation in which all of the feelings of the body are cut off by artificial means …   English contemporary dictionary

  • sensory deprivation — sen′sory depriva′tion n. psl extreme reduction of environmental stimuli, often leading to cognitive, perceptual, or behavioral disorientation or, in infants, developmental damage …   From formal English to slang

  • sensory deprivation — /sɛnsəri dɛprəˈveɪʃən/ (say sensuhree depruh vayshuhn) noun the blocking of normal input to all the human senses, used in psychological experimentation and in the torture of political prisoners …  

  • Sensory substitution — means to transform the characteristics of one sensory modality into stimuli of another sensory modality. It is hoped that sensory substitution systems can help handicapped people by restoring their ability to perceive a certain defective sensory… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”