Descriptive psychopathology

Question 1

Define thought echo

Answer 1

the individual hears their thoughts spoken aloud, either simultaneously (as thinking the thought) or just afterwards.

Question 2

Define thought insertion

Answer 2

the patient believes somebody or something is ‘planting’ thoughts into their mind. This happens against the person’s will.

Question 3

Define thought broadcast

Answer 3

the patient believes that others can hear their thoughts against their will

Question 4

Define thought withdrawal

Answer 4

the patient believes thoughts are being removed from their mind against their will, and this leaves the mind ‘blank’.

Question 5

Define thought blocking

Answer 5

suddenly halts in thought process and can’t continue

Question 6

Define somatic passivity

Answer 6

the patient believes that their movements, emotions or will is being altered by an external force
* e.g. they believe their movements are being controlled.

Question 7

Define incongruity of affect

Answer 7

the patient may burst out laughing or become very
angry for no apparent reason, or they may have inappropriate emotional reactions

Question 8

Define flight of ideas

Answer 8

• rapid flow of thoughts that are loosely connected and jump from one topic to another
• speech is often incoherent and difficult to follow

Question 9

Define pressure of speech

Answer 9

the patient speaks at a rate faster than normal

Question 10

Define poverty of thought

Answer 10

The patient is able to answer questions, but their thought process is not properly utilised and they cannot explain their answers.

Question 11

Define poverty of speech

Answer 11

• patient will give very short answers, and will not voluntarily give any input to a conversation
• unable to elaborate on their thoughts
• feels as though their ‘mind is empty’.

Question 12

Define blunting of affect

Answer 12

person has a lack of emotion

Question 13

Define stupor

Answer 13

patient is unable to move or speak except for moving their eyes

Question 14

Define perseveration

Answer 14

involuntary repetition of a thought or behaviour even when there is no stimulus or the stimulus has stopped

Question 15

Define circumstantiality

Answer 15

thoughts are connected but focus of the conversation drifts off topic before returning back to the original point (long-windedness)

Question 16

Define tangential thinking

Answer 16

• series of connected thoughts that go off topic and don’t return to the original topic
• person provides excessive or irrelevant details that make it difficult to get to the point

Question 17

Define derailment

Answer 17

patient moves from one topic to another with no obvious connection
* topic may change in the middle of a sentence

Question 18

Define neologism

Answer 18

patient may make up a new word, or give an existing word a new meaning that is only apparent to the individual, and does not make sense.

Question 19

Define confabulations

Answer 19

false/ distorted memories that people create without intending to deceive

Question 20

Define La belle indifference

Answer 20

describes a patient’s lack of emotional distress/ concern about their symptoms

Question 21

Features of conversion disorder (Functional neurological disorder)

Answer 21

• loss of motor or sensory function
• patient doesn’t consciously feign the symptoms

Question 22

Define catatonia

Answer 22

a state where the person may not respond to stimuli and exhibits strange physical behaviour. The state may involve a particular movement or posture that a patient often performs.

Question 23

What are clang associations

Answer 23

ideas are related to each other only by the fact they sound similar or rhyme.

Question 24

What is knight’s move thinking

Answer 24

severe type of loosening of associations, where there are unexpected and illogical leaps from one idea to another