Appearance, Attitude & Behaviour

Question 1

abulia

Answer 1

decreased activity due to the lack of ability or power to execute action, despite a desire to do so

Question 2

agitation

Answer 2

excessive motor activity associated with a feeling of inner tension

Question 3

aggression

Answer 3

behaviours or attitudes which express rage or hostility and the potential for physical or verbal destructiveness

Question 4

akathisia

Answer 4

a feeling of motor restlessness, particularly of the legs, usually a side effect of neuroleptic medication

Question 5

akinesia

Answer 5

a marked reduction in accessory motor activity and in normal automatic movements

Question 6

apathy

Answer 6

a lack of emotions or desire, a feeling of non-involvement or not caring

Question 7

athetoid movements

Answer 7

abnormal movements that are slow, writhing, involuntary and involving the extremities; they are often described as snakelike

Question 8

automatic movements

Answer 8

involuntary movements that occur in the setting of altered consciousness; also termed automatisms

Question 9

bradykinesia

Answer 9

a slowing of motor activity, as though on is in slow motion

Question 10

catalepsy

Answer 10

waxy flexibility - rigid maintenance of a body position over an extended period of time

Question 11

cataplexy

Answer 11

episodes of sudden bilateral loss of muscle tone resulting in the individual collapsing, often in association with intense emotions

Question 12

catatonic behaviour

Answer 12

marked motor abnormalities including: motor immobility (catalepsy), certain types of excessive motor activity (purposeless agitation), extreme negativism (apparently motiveless resistance to instructions) or mutism, posturing, stereotyped movements, echolalia or echopraxia

Question 13

cogwheel rigidity

Answer 13

a finding of involuntary resistance to passive flexion/extension - a ratcheting sensation is felt by the examiner

Question 14

choreiform movements

Answer 14

irregular, involuntary movements which are faster, jerkier and moe discrete than athetoid movements

Question 15

coma

Answer 15

profound unconsciousness with loss of voluntary activity and communication

Question 16

compulsion

Answer 16

unwanted, ego-dystonic impulse to perform certain behaviours

Question 17

disinhibited behaviour

Answer 17

behaviour that demonstrates poor self control or loss of capacity to resist unacceptable impulses

Question 18

dystonia

Answer 18

an episode of involuntary increased tone in a muscle or group of muscles that occurs rarely in Parkinsonism and more frequently as an extrapyramidal side effect of antipsychotic medications

Question 19

echopraxia

Answer 19

repetition by imitation of the movements of another

Question 20

extrapyramidal side effects

Answer 20

tremor, bradykinesia, cogwheel rigidity, paratonia, dystonia, akathisia

Question 21

guarded behaviour

Answer 21

the patient attempt to conceal information and is hesitant to reveal particular details for fear of repercussions (imagined/real)

Question 22

hyperactivity

Answer 22

excessive motor activity which may/may not be associated with mental changes

Question 23

lead pipe rigidity

Answer 23

markedly increased muscle tone and resistance to passive movement independent of the direction of movement

Question 24

manipulative

Answer 24

attitude or behaviour in which one exploits another person in order to gain advantage

Question 25

mannerism

Answer 25

a peculiar and repetitive body movement or action that appears bizarre to the observer because it is exaggerated or out of context and does not resemble know types of involuntary movements

Question 26

motor perseveration

Answer 26

deficient capacity to shift from one motor activity to another

Question 27

Parkinsonian movements

Answer 27

involuntary movements due to basal ganglia dysfunction: resting tremor, cogwheel rigidity, muscle rigidity, masked facies, bradykinesia and festinating gait

Question 28

regressed behaviour

Answer 28

a deterioration to a behaviour that is psychosocially less mature than expected by the individual’s age or stage in life

Question 29

psychomotor retardation

Answer 29

slowing of body movements secondary to psychic dysfunction

Question 30

resistance

Answer 30

opposition to attempts by others to help

Question 31

splitting

Answer 31

this is a psychological defence mechanism in which other persons and things are viewed in extremes without the ability to consider compromise or to integrate seemingly conflicting information into a whole

Question 32

stereotypy

Answer 32

a repetitive purposeless movement

Question 33

suspiciousness

Answer 33

distrust of others or their intentions

Question 34

tics

Answer 34

abnormal sudden, repetitive, stereotyped jerky movements of eyes, vocal organs, face, extremities or trunk

Question 35

tremors

Answer 35

rapidly alternating movements of the extremities, trunk, head and neck, tongue or lips which occur when the limb or trunk is at rest, held in posture or executing intentional motions

Question 36

vigilance

Answer 36

sustained attention to external stimuli

Question 37

viscosity

Answer 37

the “gluey” inter-ictal behaviour of some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy including interpersonal clinginess, difficulty breaking conversations and excessive talking