Glossary

somnolence – feeling sleepy or drowsy, especially during the day.

inhibition (in the liver) – refers to the body processing a drug more slowly by inhibiting (or reducing) the enzymes that clear the drug. This leads to higher drug levels.

late breaker – in research, this is a study presented at a medical meeting that was submitted to the conference organisers after the main programme had been decided. There are usually only a few dozen late-breakers, where the last minute results are thought important enough to include – like ‘late-breaking news’. Although this studies often contain the most exciting news, they are given much less time to present their results – maybe less than 10 minutes compared to a normal 15 or 20 minute session. These summary results are also difficult to verify because they include fewer slides and fewer details.

lumbar puncture – taking a sample of spinal fluid by inserting a needle into the body at the base of the spine. Also called a spinal tap.

phenotype — relating to how an organism behaves, based on how its genotype relates to the environment. Phenotypic resistance tests look at whether HIV continues to grow in a test tube after increasing concentrations of a drug are added. See genotype.