catatonic schizophrenia

schizophrenia /schizo·phre·nia/ (skit″so-fren´e-ah) (-fre´ne-ah) a mental disorder or group of disorders characterized by disturbances in the form and content of thought (e.g., delusions, hallucinations), in mood (e.g., inappropriate affect), in sense of self and relationship to the external world (e.g., loss of ego boundaries, withdrawal), and in behavior (e.g., bizarre or apparently purposeless behavior); it must cause marked decrease in functioning and be present for at least six months.schizophren´ic

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catatonic schizophrenia  a form characterized by psychomotor disturbance, which may be manifested by a marked decrease in reactivity to the environment and in spontaneous activity, by excited, uncontrollable, and apparently purposeless motor activity, by resistance to instructions or attempts to be moved, or by maintenance of a rigid posture or of fixed bizarre postures.

childhood schizophrenia  former name for schizophrenia-like symptoms with onset before puberty, marked by autistic, withdrawn behavior, failure to develop an identity separate from the mother's, and gross developmental immaturity, now classified as pervasive developmental disorders.

disorganized schizophrenia , hebephrenic schizophrenia a form marked by disorganized and incoherent thought and speech, shallow, inappropriate, and silly affect, and regressive behavior without systematized delusions.

paranoid schizophrenia  a form characterized by delusions, often with auditory hallucinations, with relative preservation of affect and cognitive functioning.

residual schizophrenia  a condition manifested by individuals with symptoms of schizophrenia who, after a psychotic schizophrenic episode, are no longer psychotic.

undifferentiated schizophrenia  a type characterized by the presence of prominent psychotic symptoms but not classifiable as catatonic, disorganized, or paranoid.

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catatonic schizophrenia

n.

A type of schizophrenia characterized by marked disturbances in activity resulting in either generalized inhibition or excessive activity.

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catatonic schizophrenia

Etymology: Gk, kata + tonos + schizein, to split, phren, mind

a form of schizophrenia characterized by alternating periods of extreme withdrawal and extreme excitement. During the withdrawal stage, stupor, waxy flexibility, muscular rigidity, mutism, blocking, negativism, and catalepsy (cerea flexibilitas) may be seen. During the period of excitement, purposeless and impulsive activity may range from mild agitation to violence. See also catatonia.

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schizophrenia [skit-so-, skiz-o-fre´ne-ah]

any of a large group of mental disorders (the schizophrenic disorders) characterized by mental deterioration from a previous level of functioning and characteristic disturbances of multiple psychological processes, including delusions, loosening of associations, poverty of the content of speech, auditory hallucinations, inappropriate affect, disturbed sense of self, and withdrawal from the external world. adj., adj schizophren´ic.

Because the onset is usually in adolescence or early adulthood, schizophrenia was formerly called dementia praecox, a term still used by some European psychiatrists for process schizophrenia. The term schizophrenia literally means “split personality,” referring to portions of the psyche that are contradictory; it does not mean multiple personality disorder, which is the presence of distinct, autonomous alternate personalities.

There are various theories regarding causes of schizophrenia. Biologic theories include genetics, biochemicals, and structural alterations. It is generally accepted that schizophrenics inherit a genetic vulnerability for the disease, and this interacts with environmental factors in causation.

Classification. The current nomenclature classifies schizophrenia into five types. Disorganized (hebephrenic) schizophrenia is characterized by disorganized, incoherent thinking; shallow, inappropriate, and silly affect; and regressive behavior without systematized delusions. Catatonic schizophrenia is characterized by psychomotor disturbance which may involve stupor, rigidity, excitement, negativism, or posturing, or an alteration among these behaviors; associated features include mutism, stereotypy, and waxy flexibility. This type, once common, is now rare. Paranoid schizophrenia is characterized by persecutory or grandiose delusions, delusional jealousy, or hallucinations with persecutory or grandiose content. The undifferentiated type refers to cases in which there are prominent psychotic symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, incoherence, or grossly disorganized behavior, and which cannot be classified as one of the first three types. The residual type refers to cases in which the prominent psychotic symptoms of a previous episode have disappeared but signs of the illness, such as inappropriate affect, social withdrawal, or loosening of associations, persist.

Treatment. A variety of therapeutic measures may be used to help the schizophrenic patient cope with reality and the demands of everyday living. The combination of therapies will depend on the needs of the individual patient, age and family background, and the environment in which the patient must live. Among the kinds of therapy are treatment with one of the antipsychotic agents (formerly called neuroleptics) and intensive psychotherapy for outpatients and various forms of group therapy and milieu therapy for hospitalized patients.

childhood schizophrenia see pervasive developmental disorders.

catatonic schizophrenia a type of schizophrenia characterized by marked psychomotor disturbance, which may include immobility (stupor or catalepsy), excessive motor activity, extreme negativism, mutism, echolalia, echopraxia, and peculiar voluntary movements such as posturing, mannerisms, grimacing, or stereotyped behaviors.

latent schizophrenia older term for a type of schizophrenia characterized by clear symptoms of schizophrenia but no history of a psychotic schizophrenic episode; it includes conditions that have been called incipient, prepsychotic, prodromal, pseudoneurotic, and pseudopsychopathic schizophrenia. See schizoid personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder.

pseudoneurotic schizophrenia a form characterized by all-pervasive anxiety and a wide variety of neurotic symptoms that initially mask underlying psychotic tendencies, which may be manifest as occasional, brief psychotic episodes. It is usually considered to be more of a personality disorder; see also schizotypal personality disorder.

pseudopsychopathic schizophrenia a term applied to patients in whom antisocial, impulsive, or sociopathic tendencies initially mask underlying psychotic tendencies typical of schizophrenia. It is often considered to be more of a personality disorder; see schizotypal personality disorder.

schizoaffective schizophrenia schizoaffective disorder.

simple schizophrenia a form characterized by gradual loss of drive, social withdrawal, and emotional apathy, but without prominent psychotic features. It is often considered to be a form of personality disorder; see schizotypal personality disorder.