Diagnosis: mutism, catalepsy (waxy flexibility/ examination)/posturing, rigidity, stupor, stereotypies (aimless and repetitive motor activity; verbigeration is a verbal stereotypy), echophenomenon, negativism (unmotivated resistance to instructions), withdrawal (refusal to eat, drink, maintain gaze), impulsivity, gegenhalten (resistance to passive movement that is equal to stimulus strength), automatic obedience, passive obedience (mitigehen; response to slight pressure), ambitendency, perseveration, grasping, autonomic instability
Four dimensions: 1) Catatonic inhibition (depression and medical conditions, 2) Catatonic excitation (mania), 3) Abnormal involuntary movements (tourettes, OCD), 4) Volitional disturbance/catalepsy (schizophrenia, mixed mania)
Excitation: mutism, echophenomenon, impulsivity, stereotypy, mannerism (e.g. tiptoeing, hopping), often purposeless destructive behaviour
Inhibition/Retarded: retained awareness, hypervigilant state, lack of verbal or motor responses to stimuli
Malignant catatonia: sudden excitement, posturing, mutism, rigidity; in the context of delirum; severe autonomic dysfunction (fever, tachycardia, hypertension, tachypnoea; ECT is the treatment of choice
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Fink and Taylor: a) immobility, mutism or stupor of at least 1 hour duration, with (at least one, observed on two or more occasions - catalepsy, posturing, or automatic obedience; OR b) if criteria a is not met, then (at least two, observed on two or more occasions) either observe or elicit catalepsy, ambitendency, posturing, sterotypy, echophenomenon, negativism, or posturing