allostaticadj.
/ˌalə(ʊ)ˈstatɪk/, U.S. /ˌæləˈstædɪk/ 1. Medicine. Designating an allograft consisting of relatively acellular or devitalized tissue, serving a mainly mechanical function. Cf. earlier homostatic adj. at homo- comb. form 1. Now rare.
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1964 P. S. Russell & A. P. Monaco New Eng. Jrnl. Med. 3 Sept. 503/2 The new terminology would, of course, alter these words [sc. homostatic and homovital] to allostatic and allovital.
1985 Restorative Dental Materials 1 316 Ankylosed, pulpless teeth can function well for about 7-8 years as allostatic grafts.
2. Physiology. Of or relating to allostasis.
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1993 B. S. McEwen & E. Stellar in Arch. Internal Med. 153 2094/3 When the external cause of allostatic adjustment is removed, the body takes time to return to a more basal state.
1999 N.Y. Times (Nexis) 18 Apr. iv. 6/1 The body's approach to stress is ‘allostatic’.
2006 Science 6 Oct. 60/1 The authors have never been shy in vigorously promoting their allostatic theory of addiction.
Compounds
allostatic load n. Physiology the effects of chronic or repeated exposure to stressful environmental challenges.
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1993 B. S. McEwen & E. Stellar in Arch. Internal Med. 153 2093 We define allostatic load as the cost of chronic exposure to fluctuating or heightened neural or neuroendocrine response resulting from repeated or chronic environmental challenge that an individual reacts to as being particularly stressful.
2005 T. Steckler et al. Handbk. Stress & Brain (2006) II. §1. 51 Maladaptions in restraining responses have been termed ‘allostatic load,’ which can be due to overstimulation from frequent stress, failure to turn off allostatic responses after stress, or inability to respond adequately to the initial challenge leading other systems to overreact.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, September 2012; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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adj.1964