Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders, Chapter 15

Question 1

anosognosia

Answer 1

A symptom of some mental illness, such as schizophrenia, in which the individual is manifesting overt symptoms of illness but is unaware of the presence of symptoms/unaware that there is anything wrong.

Question 2

anhedonia

Answer 2

The inability to or even imagine any pleasant emotion.

Question 3

associative looseness

Answer 3

Sometimes called “Loose associations,” a thinking process characterized by speech in which ideas shift from one unrelated subject to another. The individual is unaware that the topics are unconnected.

Question 4

catatonia

Answer 4

A type of psychological disturbance which is typified by “stupor” (extreme psychomotor retardation, mutism, negativism, and posturing), or “excitement” (psychomotor agitation where movements are frenzied and purposeless).

Question 5

circumstantiality

Answer 5

In speaking, the delay of an individual to reach the point of a communication, owing to unnecessary and tedious details.

Question 6

clang association

Answer 6

A pattern of speech in which the choice of words is governed by sounds, often taking the form of rhyming.

Question 7

delusions

Answer 7

False personal beliefs not consistent with a person’s intelligence or cultural background. The individual continues to have the belief in spite of obvious proof that it is false and/ or irrational.

Question 8

echolalia

Answer 8

The parrot-like repetition, by an individual with loose ego boundaries, of the words spoken by another.

Question 9

echopraxia

Answer 9

An individual with loose ego boundaries attempting to identify with another person by imitating movements that the other person makes.

Question 10

extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS)

Answer 10

A variety of responses that originate outside the pyramidal tracts and in the basal ganglion of the brain. Symptoms may include: tremors, chorea, dystonia, akinesia, akathisia, and others. May occur as a side effect of some anti-psych meds.

Question 11

gynecomastia

Answer 11

Enlargement of the breasts in men; may be side effect of some anti-psych meds.

Question 12

hallucinations

Answer 12

False sensory perceptions not associated with real external stimuli; may involve any of the five senses.

Question 13

illusion

Answer 13

A misperception of a real external stimulus.

Question 14

magical thinking

Answer 14

A primitive form of thinking in which an individual believes that thinking about a possible occurrence can make it happen.

Question 15

neologism

Answer 15

New words that an individual invents that are meaningless to others, but have symbolic meaning to the psychotic person.

Question 16

neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS)

Answer 16

A rare but potentially fatal complication of treatment with neuroleptic drugs. Symptoms include severe muscle rigidity, high fever, tachycardia, fluctuations in BP, diaphoresis, and rapid deterioration of mental status to stupor and coma.

Question 17

paranoia

Answer 17

A term that implies extreme suspiciousness. In schizophrenia, paranoia is characterized by persecutory delusions and hallucinations of a threatening nature.

Question 18

perseveration

Answer 18

Persistent repetition of the same word or idea in response to different questions.

Question 19

social skills training

Answer 19

Educational opportunities through role play for the person with schizophrenia to learn appropriate social interaction skills and functional skills that are relevant to daily living.

Question 20

tangentiality

Answer 20

The inability to get to the point of a story. The speaker introduces many unrelated topics, until the original topic of discussion is lost.

Question 21

waxy flexibility

Answer 21

A condition by which the individual with schizophrenia passively yields all moveable parts of the body to any efforts made at placing them in certain positions.

Question 22

word salad

Answer 22

A group of words that are put together in a random fashion without any logical connection.