catatonia

A syndrome of psychomotor disturbances characterized by periods of physical rigidity, negativism, or stupor; may occur in schizophrenia, mood disorders, or organic mental disorders. [G. katatonos, stretching down, depressed, fr. kata, down, + tonos, tone]

- excited c. c. in which the patient is excited, impulsive, hyperactive, and combative.

- periodic c. regularly reappearing phases of catatonic excitement.

- stuporous c. c. in which the patient is subdued, mute, and negativistic, accompanied by varying combinations of staring, rigidity, and cataplexy.

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cata·to·nia .kat-ə-'tō-nē-ə n a marked psychomotor disturbance that may involve stupor or mutism, negativism, rigidity, purposeless excitement, echolalia, echopraxia, and inappropriate or bizarre posturing and is associated with various medical conditions (as schizophrenia and mood disorders)

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n.

a state in which a person becomes mute or stuporous or adopts bizarre postures. The features include flexibilitas cerea, in which the limbs may be moved passively by another person into positions that are then retained for hours on end. Catatonia was once a noted feature of schizophrenia but is now hardly ever seen in developed countries. It remains common in developing countries.

• catatonic adj.

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cata·to·nia (kat″ə-toґne-ə) [cata- + ton- + -ia] a wide group of motor abnormalities, most involving extreme under- or overactivity, occurring primarily in catatonic schizophrenia but also in other disorders; included are catalepsy, catatonic excitement, catatonic stupor, catatonic rigidity, bizarre posturing, unusual mannerisms, stereotypy, waxy flexibility, and negativism.