These syndromes are based on disorders of mental activity that reach an even deeper level and involve, after the emotional sphere and cognitive processes, the subsystem of volitional regulation of behavior or psychomotor skills, which manifests itself in a variety of parabulic symptoms.
It manifestsIt is a non-purposeful desire to move (in contrast to the desire for activity observed in manic states). Speech is broken, the movements and facial expressions of patients are mannered, theatrical and stereotypic, impulsive actions, phenomena of echolalia and echopraxia can be observed. Active or passive negativism is observed with great consistency, less often - passive subordination or ambivalence, signs of intensification and perversion of instinctive actions.
Continuous incoherent speech excitement is suddenly replaced by complete silence for a short time. Catatonic arousal is accompanied by various affective disorders�pathos, ecstasy, anger, rage, and at times indifference and indifference. With catatonic stupor, there is increased muscle tone (catatonia), which initially occurs in the masticatory muscles, then moves to the cervical and occipital muscles, then to the muscles of the shoulders, forearms, hands, and last but not least to the leg muscles. Increased muscle tone in some cases is accompanied by the patient�s ability to maintain the forced position given to his members (waxy flexibility, catalepsy). Wax flexibility appears first in the muscles of the neck, and later in the muscles of the lower extremities.
One of the manifestations of waxy flexibility is the air cushion symptom (E. Dupre psychic cushion symptom). If you raise the head of a patient lying on his back, then his head, and in some cases his shoulders, remain in an elevated position for some time. A common symptom of catatonic stupor is passive submission. the patient has no resistance to changes in the position of his limbs, posture and other actions performed on him. Catalepsy characterizes not only the state of muscle tone, but is also one of the manifestations of passive submission. Along with the latter, during stupor, the opposite disorder is observed - negativism, which is manifested by the patient�s unmotivated opposition to the words and especially the actions of the person entering into communication with him.