Catatonia

Catatonia is a state of excited or inhibited motor activity, in the absence of a mood disorder, such as depression or elation, or neurological disease.

The term was used in the past to describe a distinct syndrome. Now however it more often describes symptoms which occur individually.

Stupor and excitement are the more prominent symptoms.

Other abnormal behaviours include:

• posturing
• negativism
• echopraxia
• echolalia
• ambitendence
• mitgehen
• repeated movements

Notes:

• related definitions
  • catalepsy
    • indefinitely prolonged maintenance of a fixed body posture
      • characterized by lack of response to external stimuli and by muscular rigidity
        • may occur in variety of physical and psychological disorders, such as epilepsy and schizophrenia
        • also can be induced by hypnosis
  • cataleptic is defined as either:
    • pertaining to, characterized by, or inducing catalepsy, or,
    • a person affected with catalepsy