Plateau
Plateau
Plateau (/plæˈtoʊ/, from French: plateau, lit. 'table') is a term used in various fields of medicine to describe a period where a condition or function remains stable or in a state of little or no change after a period of activity or progress.
Etymology
The term plateau is derived from the French word plateau, meaning 'table'. This is in reference to the flat or stable nature of a plateau, which can be likened to the flat surface of a table.
In Medicine
In the field of medicine, a plateau can refer to several concepts:
- In Physiology, a plateau phase is a stage in the action potential of a cell where there is no change in electrical charge. This is typically the second phase of an action potential.
- In Pharmacology, a plateau refers to the point at which a drug's maximum therapeutic effect is reached, and further increases in dosage do not increase the effectiveness of the drug.
- In Physical Therapy, a plateau is a period where a patient's progress in recovery appears to stall, with no significant improvements or declines in health or function.
- In Psychology, the term plateau is used to describe a period where no learning or improvement occurs.
Related Terms
- Steady State: A state in which inputs equal outputs, so that the system is not changing over time.
- Homeostasis: The tendency of a system, especially the physiological system of higher animals, to maintain internal stability.
- Equilibrium: A state of balance or stability within a system.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Plateau
- Wikipedia's article - Plateau
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski