Catatonia is a psychosis now classified as the
catatonic type of
schizophrenia. It has two phases. The first, more
characteristic phase is one of stupor. In this phase,
patients are mute and unresponsive to external stimuli, although apparently they are aware of what is going on around them. At the same
time, they display extreme compliance, repeating sounds heard (echolalia) and
motions seen (echopraxia) and holding postures for prolonged periods of time until their limbs are rearranged for them. This last characteristic is called cerea flexibilitas ("waxen flexibility"), or catalepsy. In the other phase, patients exhibit great excitement and hyperactivity, which are manifested sometimes in repeated and purposeless motions and speech patterns and sometimes in violent behavior. True cases of catatonic schizophrenia are rare.
More abstracts about the CATATONIA