Modifica di Logic of medical language (sezione)

==Understanding of Medical Terminology==
Understanding what "meaning" signifies is a complex topic. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as "what something expresses or represents."<ref>[https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/meaning Cambridge Dictionary online]</ref> But this definition remains broad and leads to further questions, as different theories offer varied perspectives without a definitive answer.<ref>{{Cita libro | autore = Blouw P | autore2 = Eliasmith C | titolo = Using Neural Networks to Generate Inferential Roles for Natural Language | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29387031 | opera = Front Psychol | anno = 2018 | DOI = 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02335 }}</ref><ref>{{Cita libro | autore = Green K | titolo = Dummett: Philosophy of Language | anno = 2001 }}</ref>

In linguistic theory, terms act as labels for objects, either concrete or abstract. For example, the word "apple" evokes a clear image of a fruit. But expressions like "orofacial pain" acquire different meanings depending on the context—for a dentist, a neurologist, or for the patient, Mary Poppins, herself.

In the case of Mary Poppins, the neurologist will frame "pain in the right half of the face" using terms like synapses and action potentials, while the dentist will focus on teeth and occlusion. This variation in meaning highlights the importance of context in diagnosis.

A deeper exploration of modern philosophy of meaning, such as Gottlob Frege's distinction between "extension" (all entities sharing a characteristic) and "intension" (attributes that define an idea), sheds light on how diagnostic errors may occur.<ref>[[:wikipedia:Gottlob_Frege|Wikipedia entry]]</ref>

For example, "pain" is a broad term with high extension but low intension. However, focusing on specific pain types (dental implants, pulpitis, neuropathic pain) increases intension and reduces extension.<ref>{{Cita libro | autore = Porporatti AL | autore2 = Bonjardim LR | titolo = Pain from Dental Implant Placement, Inflammatory Pulpitis Pain, and Neuropathic Pain Present Different Somatosensory Profiles | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28118417 | opera = J Oral Facial Pain Headache | anno = 2017 | DOI = 10.11607/ofph.1680 }}</ref>

This shows how the vulnerability of medical language to semantic and contextual ambiguity can lead to significant diagnostic challenges.<ref>{{Cita libro | autore = Jääskeläinen SK | titolo = Differential Diagnosis of Chronic Neuropathic Orofacial Pain | url = https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31688325 | opera = J Clin Neurophysiol | anno = 2019 | DOI = 10.1097/WNP.0000000000000583 }}</ref>