After being medicated, the patient's affect/effect was noticeably improved.

My answer: the medication had an effect on the patient.

more in keeping with the original might be:

The medication had a noticeable positive effect on the patient.

or

After being medicated, the patient was noticeably improved.

To determine whether to use "affect" or "effect" in a sentence, it's important to understand the difference between these two words:

- "Affect" is a verb that means to influence or produce a change in something or someone. It is typically used to describe how something or someone is impacted by something else.

- "Effect" is a noun that refers to the result or outcome of something. It is used to describe the consequence of an action or event.

In the sentence you provided, "the patient's affect/effect was noticeably improved," you're discussing the impact of medication on the patient. In this case, you would use "effect" because it refers to the result or outcome of the medication. The medication had an effect on the patient, meaning it caused a noticeable improvement in the patient's condition.

If you want to explain how to determine whether to use "affect" or "effect" in a sentence, here are a few rules to keep in mind:

1. "Affect" is generally used as a verb and refers to the action of influencing or producing change. For example: "The loud noise affected my concentration."

2. "Effect" is usually used as a noun and describes the result or consequence of an action or event. For example: "The effects of the storm were devastating."

3. However, there are exceptions to these rules. "Affect" can sometimes be used as a noun in psychology or psychiatry to describe an emotional state. Conversely, "effect" can occasionally be used as a verb, meaning "to cause something to happen." These exceptions are less common and may require a deeper understanding of context.

To determine which word to use, it can also be helpful to substitute "affect" or "effect" with the words "influence" or "result" in a sentence to see if they fit. This can help you identify the appropriate choice and ensure that your sentence is grammatically correct.