akinetic mutism

mutism

 [mu´tizm]

inability or refusal to speak, most often because deafness has prevented the person from hearing the spoken word. speech is learned by imitating the speech of others. The child who is born with normal hearing and then loses it may lose part or all of the power of speech through loss of contact with the speech of others. Mutism may also occur because the voice organs themselves have been damaged or removed, such as when a laryngectomy is performed for throat cancer. In other cases loss of speech may be psychogenic in nature. Called also aphonia.

akinetic mutism a state in which the person makes no spontaneous movement or vocal sound, because of either neurologic or psychologic reasons. Called also abulia.

selective mutism a mental disorder of childhood characterized by continuous refusal to speak in social situations when the child is able and willing to speak to selected persons.

a·ki·net·ic mut·ism

a persistent state of altered consciousness, in which the patient appears alert intermittently (that is, demonstrates a sleep-wake cycle) but is not responsive, although the descending motor pathways appear intact; caused by lesions of various cerebral structures.

Synonym(s): coma vigil

akinetic mutism

a state of apparent alertness in which a person is unable or refuses to move or to make sounds, resulting from a neurological or psychological disturbance.

akinetic mutism

A state of apparent alertness with following eye movements but no speech or voluntary motor responses.

a·ki·net·ic mut·ism

(ā'ki-net'ik myū'tizm)

Subacute or chronic state of altered consciousness, in which the patient appears alert intermittently but is not responsive, although the descending motor pathways appear intact; due to lesions of various cerebral structures.

a·ki·net·ic mut·ism

(ā'ki-net'ik myū'tizm)

Persistent state of intermittently alert altered consciousness, caused by lesions of various cerebral structures.