Psychiatric Research Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
placebo response rate
The percentage of patients in the placebo group who show clinically meaningful improvement during a trial.
MedDRA
Standardized international medical terminology dictionary used for coding adverse events in clinical trials.
metabolic syndrome
A cluster of conditions including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess abdominal fat, and abnormal cholest...
MINI
The Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, a brief structured diagnostic interview for major psychiatric disorde...
MMRM
A statistical analysis method for longitudinal data that accounts for missing observations without imputation.
mood episode
A distinct period of abnormal mood meeting specific duration and symptom criteria for major depression, mania, or hypoma...
mood stabilizer
A class of psychiatric medications used to treat mood disorders by reducing the frequency and severity of mood episodes.
negative symptoms
Schizophrenia symptoms characterized by absence or reduction of normal functions, including flat affect, alogia, and avo...
neural target engagement
Demonstration that an investigational treatment modulates its intended neurobiological mechanism in the human brain.
neuropsychological battery
A comprehensive set of standardized tests designed to assess various cognitive functions and detect brain-behavior relat...
open-label extension
A study phase where all participants receive active treatment after completing a blinded trial.
PANSS
A 30-item clinical assessment tool used to measure symptom severity in schizophrenia research.
phenomenology
The detailed descriptive study of mental phenomena as experienced by patients, focusing on the subjective aspects of psy...
placebo lead-in
Pre-randomization period where all participants receive placebo to identify and exclude placebo responders.
placebo response rate
The percentage of patients in the placebo group who show clinically meaningful improvement during a trial.
positive symptoms
Psychotic symptoms that represent an excess or distortion of normal functions, including delusions, hallucinations, and...
power analysis
A statistical calculation determining the sample size needed in psychiatric research to detect meaningful treatment diff...
PRN medication
Medication administered 'as needed' based on clinical circumstances rather than on a fixed schedule.
PRO
A measurement based on a report from a patient about their health condition without interpretation by a clinician.
prodromal psychosis
Early warning signs and attenuated symptoms that may precede the onset of full psychotic episodes.
prodrome
An early symptom indicating the onset of a disease or disorder, particularly the period before full psychotic symptoms d...
psychiatric emergency
An acute mental health crisis requiring immediate medical intervention to prevent harm.
psychiatric rating scale
Standardized assessment instruments used to quantify psychiatric symptoms and functional impairment in clinical trials.
psychometric properties
Statistical characteristics of assessment instruments including validity, reliability, and responsiveness to change.
psychometric validation
The process of establishing that a measurement instrument reliably and validly assesses its intended psychological const...