Catalepsy. What is catalepsy? Manifestation of waxy flexibility Features and symptoms of catalepsy

– an ideomotor phenomenon, characterized by the inability to move independently with high flexibility and the ability to maintain a pose for a long time without effort. Develops in narcolepsy, hysteria, catatonic form of schizophrenia, and is recreated during hypnotic sleep. It manifests itself as tension, hardening of the muscles, and an almost complete loss of sensitivity to heat and pain. Diagnostics includes collecting medical history, examination by a neurologist, and conversation with a psychiatrist. To eliminate attacks of catalepsy, the underlying disease is treated, psychotherapy techniques are used that enhance the ability to voluntarily control the body.

General information

The term “catalepsy” is of Greek origin and literally means “grasping”, “holding”. Another common name for the syndrome is waxy flexibility. Epidemiological indicators are low, amounting to 0.018-0.02% in a population with an approximately equal ratio of men and women. The cataleptic state is observed not only in humans, but also in all vertebrates, and therefore can be considered as a biologically appropriate reaction. In animals, it occurs in life-threatening situations and is a common form of passive-defensive behavior - freezing, suppression of vegetative functions is an imitation of death, which reduces the likelihood of an enemy attack, and also prepares the body for possible real death.

Causes of catalepsy

The provoking factor of waxy flexibility is considered to be prolonged experience of stress, intense emotions - excitement, fear, anger, rage. Catalepsy develops against the background of neurological and mental diseases, and is artificially induced in a state of hypnosis with certain psychological traits. The causes of the attack may be:

Catatonic schizophrenia.
Typical symptoms of this form of the disease are alternating agitation and stupor. With catatonic stupor, catalepsy may occur.
Diseases of the cerebellum.
The cause of the syndrome is neurological pathologies in which connections between the frontal cortex and the cerebellum are blocked. Such disorders are determined in tumors, after injuries.
Hysterical neurosis.
Catalepsy occurs with hysterical stupor. More often found in women.
Taking medications.
Drug catalepsy develops as a result of the use of large doses of drugs that block and reduce dopamine activity. For example, pathological flexibility is observed after the administration of haloperidol and triftazine.
Suggestibility.
People with weakened will, dependent, and susceptible people are more susceptible to hypnosis and the effects it produces. Signs of catalepsy extend to the entire body or individual parts.
Narcolepsy type 1.
With this variant of hypersomnia (sleep disorders), catalepsy is considered as a specific symptom. It forms a year after the onset of the disease.

Pathogenesis

Cataleptic states are different in origin; the trigger can be an emotional state, functional and structural changes in the central nervous system, and signals from the hypnotist. The “common final path” of the development of the syndrome is the activated subcortical systems of modulation of muscle tone with the relative deactivation of the cortex, reticular formation, and basal ganglia. The balance of the body is maintained, but the arbitrariness of movements is lost. According to recent studies, damage to the caudal hypothalamus and tegmentum in the upper midbrain causes a syndrome similar to catalepsy.

Muscle tone is maintained, complex innervation of motor acts is disrupted. This is manifested by drowsiness, motor retardation, and freezing in assigned positions. The attack does not develop all at once; pathological changes gradually spread in the upper cervical region, arms, then move to the lower part of the body. The reverse order is less common. The exit may occur in the direction opposite to the beginning of the attack. In most patients, the duration ranges from 1 minute to several hours, but there are cases where catalepsy persists for several weeks.

How symptoms develop

The development of a disorder such as catalepsy occurs gradually and continues to spread in strict sequence:

neck muscles;
hands;
torso;
lower limbs.

The reverse development of the disorder is characterized by the opposite direction. In modern medical practice, there are many examples of not only transient catalepsy, but also very protracted disorders, the duration of which ranged from several weeks to 2-3 months.

It will not be possible to detect the development of the disorder during the onset of stupor, since in such a state the patient may resist attempts to change position. Catalepsy will be completely absent when stupor is diagnosed with simultaneous numbness of muscle tissue.

Catalepsy is in fact one of the types of disorders of the functioning of the nervous system, the result of which can be called the suspension of the natural vital functions of the body. As the disorder develops, muscles often begin to harden, activity when moving worsens, and people’s sensitivity to heat and various pain sensations worsens.

One of the main features of the disorder is the ability of a person to see and perceive information by ear, but making bodily movements is difficult.

The patient's breathing and pulse may change, and other functions become so poorly defined that it often seems as if the person has already died. Moreover, such a state can last from several minutes to one or more days.

Symptoms of catalepsy

During a cataleptic attack, muscle tension increases, sensitivity to pain and temperature changes decreases, and the ability to move the limbs and move is lost. The patient sees, hears, understands, but cannot react to what is happening around him. The pulse, heartbeat and other autonomic reactions slow down greatly, which causes others to assume death. The muscles become firm to the touch, but there is no numbness. The position of the limbs and torso is easily changed by external forces. The position is maintained throughout the entire attack.

In some cases, the patient may also experience affective, delusional disorders and hallucinations. Catalepsy is often accompanied by echopraxia (involuntary repetition of gestures), negativism (resistance to requests and forced changes in posture), echophasia (repetition of words, phrases), verbigeration (incessant pronunciation of the same words, sentences), stereotypy (sustained repetition of aimless movements). After recovering from the attack, the patient experiences emotional excitement - crying, screaming.

Features and symptoms of catalepsy

The main symptoms of catalepsy are:

Hardness in muscles;
Reduced sensitivity to pain and heat;
Inability to move limbs or move.

It is interesting that in this state a person sees and hears everything, but his pulse, breathing and some other functions are greatly reduced. The duration of catalepsy ranges from one minute to several days, sometimes it may even seem that the patient is dead. In some cases, the disorder persists for a very long time - weeks, and sometimes months.

The development of cataleptic stupor most often occurs gradually: numbness spreads from the upper limbs and neck muscles to the lower torso and legs. The way out of the state of catalepsy has the opposite direction.

During stupor, which is accompanied by symptoms of negativism, as well as when the patient resists attempts to change his existing position, pathological numbness is not detected. Also, symptoms of catalepsy are absent in case of stupor with muscle numbness.

Complications

Severe cases of catalepsy are complicated by delusional and hallucinatory disorders. During the attack, patients experience confusion, usually oneiroid with an influx of delusional fantastic images and ideas. Hallucinations appear in a certain sequence, creating a holistic, complete picture. After an acute condition, there is usually amnesia for the events that actually happened, but patients describe their own condition quite accurately. Complications of prolonged cataleptic attacks arise as a result of autonomic disorders. Headaches, dizziness, sleep and digestion disorders develop.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of catalepsy is carried out by a psychiatrist and a neurologist. Attacks of waxy flexibility can appear when the main diagnosis is established or be the reason for the initial visit to a specialist. Depending on this factor, the volume of diagnostic procedures is determined. A comprehensive examination includes:

Survey.
The conversation is conducted with the patient and relatives. The doctor collects anamnestic data and finds out the symptoms. When communicating with a patient, the specialist determines the ability for productive contact, the preservation of critical abilities, and intellectual functions.
Observation.
Behavioral and emotional abnormalities are assessed during the patient’s consultation and hospital stay. Often the doctor is able to be directly present during the development of an attack.
Neurological examination.
During the initial diagnosis, tests can identify neurological pathology as a possible cause of catalepsy. Examination of the patient during an attack confirms a decrease in pain and temperature sensitivity, inhibition of reflex responses, muscle hypertonicity with preservation of plasticity.

When making the main diagnosis, additional psychodiagnostics, instrumental studies of the central nervous system, and laboratory tests of blood and urine may be prescribed. Data from objective methods make it possible to establish the disease that caused catalepsy and differentiate the pathology from other syndromes of motor functions.

Catatonia and catalepsy

Hypertoxic form of schizophrenia
Treatment of hypertoxic form of schizophrenia

Hypertoxic form of schizophrenia The hypertoxic form of schizophrenia is one of the variants of oneiric catatonia, which occurs with a variety of psychotic and somatic disorders, high fever and disturbances of consciousness, indicating super-severe intoxication, therefore this form of schizophrenia is called hypertoxic.
Its extreme severity, rapid course, combination of acute mental and somatic disorders can lead to death, which necessitates the need to provide patients with urgent medical care. The disease begins suddenly, acutely and immediately takes a rapid course. The most important symptom for early diagnosis is high temperature. At first it may be low-grade (37.3° - 37.9 °C), but it quickly increases and reaches high numbers. In other cases, the temperature curve is incorrect, febrile surges occur at different times of the day, and low-grade fever persists in between. Fever is accompanied by tachycardia, which is much more pronounced than at moderate temperatures. The appearance of the patient is very characteristic: a grayish-sallow, less often hyperemic face with sharpened features, sunken shiny eyes, sometimes the sclera is injected, a wandering or fixed gaze, large drops of sweat on the forehead, parched dry lips, cracks in the corners of the mouth, a dry tongue covered with white or brown coating. Less common are profuse sweat, hemorrhages on the skin and mucous membranes, and trophic disorders (such as bedsores) on the skin. The general condition of patients quickly deteriorates - blood pressure drops, pulse and breathing increase. Patients lose consciousness and coma develops. Death usually occurs on the 7-10th day of illness from acute vascular insufficiency against the background of cerebral edema. Treatment of hypertoxic form of schizophrenia

Only timely intensive therapy can change the severe outcome of febrile catatonia. One of the most effective methods of its treatment is electroconvulsive therapy, which is carried out in combination with other measures aimed at eliminating the toxic manifestations of the disease. These medicinal measures include intravenous drip administration of prednisolone (up to 120 mg/day) in a glucose solution or isotonic sodium chloride solution. To stabilize vascular tone, cordiamine, mesaton, and norepinephrine are also prescribed; if necessary, they are used several times a day. In cases where intravenous drip administration is carried out continuously over many hours or days, the needle is inserted into the subclavian vein. To prevent possible thrombophlebitis, the place where the cannula is inserted is carefully treated with heparin. A mandatory component of the medicinal mixture administered through a dropper is a solution containing potassium and sodium, as well as dehydrating agents. High temperature can be eliminated by parenteral administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. With increasing cerebral edema, furosemide, urea, and mannitol are used along with magnesium sulfate. Recently, metabolic drugs (piracetam, nootropil 1200-2400 mg/day) have been widely used. The results of treating patients largely depend on the organization of the nurse’s work: all necessary drugs, sterile solutions, instruments must be prepared in advance, always be in the department and change depending on their expiration dates. When treating such patients, a special role is given to their care. Patients should be provided with a special post, since each case of hypertoxic schizophrenia should be considered as an emergency in the department. Patients need constant supervision and continuous care. It is necessary to constantly monitor the patients’ oral cavity, lubricate their lips, and have a sufficient amount of liquid (tea, juices). If patients cannot drink on their own, it is recommended to draw the liquid into a Janet syringe (or another syringe) and inject it into the oral cavity in small portions. Skin care and prevention of hypostatic pneumonia are equally important. The nurse should dry the sweat on the face and body of patients, treat the skin with alcohol, often turn the patient in bed, remake the bed, and avoid wrinkles in the sheets. It is important to systematically monitor areas where there may be bedsores or bullous rashes (heels, calf muscles, buttocks). Any, even the smallest changes in the skin in these areas should be carefully described and brought to the attention of the attending physician or the doctor on duty. The diaries of nurses on duty should reflect all changes in the condition and behavior of patients during duty. It must be emphasized that saving such patients is a difficult task, but it is quite feasible thanks to timely and complete care for these patients, which is impossible without the participation of nurses.

Based on materials from the article “Hypertoxic form of schizophrenia.”

Treatment of catalepsy

Elimination of catalepsy is part of the treatment of the leading disease - catatonic schizophrenia, hysterical neurosis, narcolepsy, tumors and the consequences of brain injuries. With adequately selected methods, the frequency and duration of attacks are reduced. Specific treatment for the syndrome includes:

Interactive imagogy.
A psychotherapeutic technique based on working with the imagination. The patient learns the ability to better feel the condition of the muscles and be aware of the process of controlling them. Then a positive image is created, through which control over movements and actions develops, allowing one to prevent an attack of catalepsy.
.
The medications are selected by the doctor individually, taking into account existing emotional and behavioral abnormalities. Psychostimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics are used to relieve attacks.
Family counseling.
The task of family members is to provide emotional comfort and physical safety to the patient. During consultations, relatives are told about the peculiarities of the course of the disease and the procedure for treating catalepsy. You cannot ridicule, humiliate the patient, or leave him unattended while performing potentially dangerous activities (cooking, crossing the street). If you freeze in an unnatural position, you need to give your body a comfortable position and stay nearby until the attack ends.

Prognosis and prevention

The prognosis for catalepsy is favorable with successful treatment of the underlying pathology, preservation of cognitive functions, and the ability to critically think. Under such conditions, the method of interactive imagogy, which develops the skill of voluntary seizure prevention, turns out to be effective. There are no specific preventive measures; the likelihood of catalepsy can be reduced through timely diagnosis and treatment of mental and neurological diseases on the basis of which it arises.

CATALEPSY, often called “waxy flexibility” in psychiatry, is a pathologically long-term preservation of a given position; usually observed in the catatonic form of schizophrenia. Catalepsy is considered as a consequence of the most pronounced suggestibility. It is often combined with other manifestations of increased suggestibility: echopraxia (repetition of seen gestures), echolalia (repetition of heard words), etc. Catalepsy can be induced in a state of hypnosis. E. Bleuler described it this way: “Patients do not make movements of their own free will; they can be given any position, and no matter how uncomfortable it may be, they will remain in it for a very long time.” If there is rigidity in posture rather than waxy flexibility, the catalepsy is called rigid. In addition to catatonic schizophrenia, catalepsy can be observed in hysteria and some diseases of the cerebellum, when connections between the cerebellum and the frontal lobes of the cortex are blocked or damaged. see also

CATATONIA.

Collier's Encyclopedia.
— Open Society. 2000. Synonyms
:

See what “CATALEPSY” is in other dictionaries:

- (Greek katalepsis, from katalambano I grasp). 1) a nervous attack consisting of loss of sensitivity and voluntary movement. 2) numbness from apoplexy. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N.,... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

catalepsy

- A painful condition that begins suddenly and lasts for a short or long time, which is characterized by the suspension of voluntary movements and the disappearance of sensitivity. The limbs and torso can maintain the pose given to them -... ... Great Psychological Encyclopedia

Numbness, tetanus Dictionary of Russian synonyms. catalepsy noun, number of synonyms: 3 disease (995) ... Dictionary of synonyms

catalepsy

- and, well. catalepsy f. <lat. catalepsis <gr. katalepsis seizure, seizure. A painful condition with complete or partial loss of the ability to voluntarily move the body or its individual members. observed during hypnosis, lethargy, hysteria... ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

catalepsy

- and in the speech of doctors, catalepsy ... Dictionary of difficulties in pronunciation and stress in modern Russian

- (from the Greek katalepsis grasping, holding), a movement disorder of a person freezing in a position adopted by him or given to him (the so-called waxy flexibility) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

CATALEPSY, catalepsy, many. no, female (from the Greek katalepsis grasping) (honey). Convulsive contraction of muscles with a disorder of consciousness under the influence of nervous diseases, hypnosis, severe mental shocks; tetanus. || Exposure to such... ... Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary

Women prolonged and death-like fainting; general numbness of the whole body, an attack of insensibility and immobility, often with preservation of self-awareness, and sometimes feelings and hearing. Cataleptic, related to catalepsy. Cataleptic man... ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary

Not to be confused with cataplexy. Catalepsy MeSH D002375 D002375 Catalepsy (Greek κατάληψις grasping, holding) often called “waxy flexibility” in psychiatry (... Wikipedia

CATALEPSY

— En.: Catalepsy This word traditionally designates one of the specific hypnotic phenomena, which consists in the patient maintaining the body position given to him by the operator. Apparently, we are dealing here with an inherent human mechanism... ... New hypnosis: glossary, principles and method. Introduction to Ericksonian Hypnotherapy

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Absurdity and around, Anna Plotnikova, Anton Tsimmerling, Birut Merzhvinskay, Vladimir Davchev, German Ritz, Daniel Weiss, Dmitry Mayboroda, Jean-Filipp Zhakkar, Igor Smirnov, Konstantin Bogdanov, Leonid Geller, Maria Virolainen, Natalya Fateeva, Nora Buhps , Oksana Chepelik, Olga Burenina, The contents of the collection reflect the program of the international conference “The Absurd and Slavic Culture of the 20th Century,” which took place in October 2001 at the University of Zurich, bringing together representatives... Category: Art and Photography Publisher: Languages of Slavic Culture,
Incomprehensible power Hypnotism personal and therapeutic magnetism and suggestion Complete practical course of hypnotism, Linde-Severin, Reprint from the publication. A complete practical course of hypnotism. 2nd ed. Moscow, Scientific-psychological. publishing house, 1911. 6 drawings in the text. .A generally understandable guide for self-study of hypnotic experiences, and... Category: Other branches of medicine Manufacturer:

Catalepsy is a sleep-like state during which there is a significant decrease or loss of sensitivity to any internal or external stimuli.

This phenomenon is also called wax flexibility, since a person is able to maintain any position without any effort. The occurrence of catalepsy can be observed in some types of schizophrenia and other mental disorders, as well as during hypnotic sleep.

In 1930, Sylvan Muldoon coined the term “astral catalepsy,” which was also called sleep paralysis. The development of the pathological condition usually occurs gradually. It consistently spreads across all muscle groups. Thus, catalepsy of the arm, neck muscles, lower extremities, etc. may be observed. For most people, the disorder goes away quite quickly (from a minute to several days), but there are also cases of long-term catalepsy, when it lasted for weeks or even months.

Notes

↑ 1 2 Stoimenov Y. A., Stoimenova M. Y., Koeva P. Y. et al.
Psychiatric encyclopedic dictionary. - K.: "MAUP", 2003. - P. 178, 390, 402. - 1200 p. — ISBN 966-608-306-X.
Morozov G.V., Romasenko V.A.
Nervous and mental illnesses. - M.: Medicine, 1987. - P. 304. - 336 p.
↑ 1 2 Catalepsy
- article from the Great Soviet Encyclopedia.
Catalepsy // Dictionary of Clinical Psychology
Sidorov P.I., Parnyakov A.V.
Clinical psychology. - M.: GEOTAR-Media, 2008. - P. 323. - 880 p.
Experimental study of drugs with antiparkinsonian activity (unspecified)
.
Russian scientists have repaired the substantia nigra and the corpus striatum (undefined)
. Archived from the original on June 2, 2012.
Sanberg PR
Haloperidol-induced catalepsy is mediated by postsynaptic dopamine receptors. (English) // Nature: journal. - 1980. - Vol. 284, no. 5755. - P. 472-3. - PMID 7189016.
Haraguchi K., Ito K., Kotaki H., Sawada Y., Iga T.
Prediction of drug-induced catalepsy based on dopamine D₁, D₂, and muscarinic acetylcholine receptor occupancies. (English) // Drug Metab Dispos (English) Russian. : journal. - 1997. - Vol. 25, no. 6. - P. 675-84. - PMID 9193868.

Causes

Astral catalepsy, according to scientists, can occur for a number of neurological and psychological reasons. Experts say that the development of such a condition may occur due to formations in the brain. If we consider the etiology of the disorder from a psychological point of view, the increased suggestibility of a person and the weakening of his will come first. Factors that provoke the pathological condition include hysterical seizures, severe anxiety, and stress. In this case, the disappearance of an attack of catalepsy is accompanied by violent affective manifestations.

Often, catalepsy disorder is combined with other disorders associated with increased suggestibility, for example, echopraxia, nagativism, echophasia, verbegeration, stereotypy, etc. As already mentioned, pathology can occur with schizophrenia, in particular its catatonic form, as well as with narcolepsy. In general, the basis of the pathology is a kind of “switching off” of the cerebral cortex while the nervous motor system functions intact. It is this apparatus that is responsible for the balance of the human body.

Excerpt characterizing Catalepsy

Meanwhile, Nesvitsky, Zherkov and the retinue officer stood together outside the shots and looked either at this small group of people in yellow shakos, dark green jackets embroidered with strings, and blue leggings, swarming near the bridge, then at the other side, at the blue hoods and groups approaching in the distance with horses, which could easily be recognized as tools.
“Will the bridge be lit or not? Who came first? Will they run up and set fire to the bridge, or will the French drive up with grapeshot and kill them? These questions, with a sinking heart, were involuntarily asked by each of the large number of troops who stood over the bridge and, in the bright evening light, looked at the bridge and the hussars and on the other side, at the moving blue hoods with bayonets and guns. - Oh! will go to the hussars! - said Nesvitsky, - no further than a grape shot now. “It was in vain that he led so many people,” said the retinue officer. “Indeed,” said Nesvitsky. “If only we had sent two young men here, it would have been all the same.” “Oh, your Excellency,” Zherkov intervened, not taking his eyes off the hussars, but all with his naive manner, due to which it was impossible to guess whether what he was saying was serious or not. - Oh, your Excellency! How do you judge! Send two people, but who will give us Vladimir with a bow? Otherwise, even if they beat you up, you can represent the squadron and receive a bow yourself. Our Bogdanich knows the rules. “Well,” said the retinue officer, “this is buckshot!” He pointed to the French guns, which were being removed from their limbers and hastily driving away. On the French side, in those groups where there were guns, smoke appeared, another, a third, almost at the same time, and at the very minute the sound of the first shot reached, a fourth appeared. Two sounds, one after the other, and a third. - Oh, oh! - Nesvitsky gasped, as if from burning pain, grabbing the retinue officer’s hand. - Look, one fell, fell, fell! - Two, it seems? “If I were a king, I would never fight,” Nesvitsky said, turning away. The French guns again hastily loaded. The infantry in blue hoods ran toward the bridge. Again, but at different intervals, smoke appeared, and buckshot clicked and crackled across the bridge. But this time Nesvitsky could not see what was happening on the bridge. Thick smoke rose from the bridge. The hussars managed to set fire to the bridge, and the French batteries fired at them no longer to interfere, but so that the guns were aimed and there was someone to shoot at. “The French managed to fire three grape shots before the hussars returned to the horse handlers. Two volleys were fired incorrectly, and all the buckshot was carried over, but the last shot hit the middle of a group of hussars and knocked down three. Rostov, preoccupied with his relationship with Bogdanich, stopped on the bridge, not knowing what to do. There was no one to cut down (as he always imagined a battle), and he also could not help in lighting the bridge, because he did not take with him, like other soldiers, a bundle of straw. He stood and looked around, when suddenly there was a crackling sound across the bridge, like scattered nuts, and one of the hussars, who was closest to him, fell on the railing with a groan. Rostov ran towards him along with others. Someone shouted again: “Stretcher!” The hussar was picked up by four people and began to be lifted. It might be useful to read:

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Manifestations

Catalepsy can catch a person in any position, fixing the body posture. Thus, there are cases when patients suddenly froze during a conversation with their doctor. In this case, the patient’s position can be easily changed. Muscle tension in this condition can be so severe that the patient can easily be lifted by supporting only the back of the head and feet.

The main symptoms of the described disease are as follows:

muscle hardening;
almost complete loss of sensitivity to heat and pain;
inability to move (paralysis).

If astral catalepsy is accompanied only by the above symptoms, we are talking about the so-called empty catatonia. In other cases, patients may also experience affective, delusional disorders and hallucinations. During an attack, a kind of suspension of a person’s vital functions occurs, while he does not lose the ability to see and hear everything that is happening around him, although from the outside he may seem completely dead due to a very slow pulse and heartbeat.

Features of the manifestation of catalepsy

How does this movement disorder manifest itself? The attack always begins from the head and gradually reaches the lower extremities, and ends in the reverse order. After emerging from the stupor, a person usually experiences vivid affective symptoms. There are two forms of cataleptic hardening:

stupor with waxy flexibility;
catalepsy with rigidity.

Wax flexibility is an attack of this kind when the body of a frozen person can be given any position, even the most uncomfortable, and he will maintain it until the end of the attack. A person in this state is somewhat reminiscent of a doll, which, no matter how you sit it down, will sit. Rigid catalepsy is characterized by a complete lack of flexibility. The muscle tension during an attack is so strong that a person can be lifted out of bed only by holding his head, and he will still maintain his posture. The duration of an attack of catalepsy can be very variable, from several minutes to many days. An attack can occur with a disturbance of consciousness of the oneiric type, when a person sees illusory phenomena, as during sleep. With clear consciousness (for example, with narcolepsy), the patient after a cataleptic attack is able to describe his feelings and everything that is happening.

Treatment

During a diagnostic examination of the patient, it is necessary to correctly differentiate catalepsy from other types of motor dysfunction that can occur with organic pathologies of the brain. When developing treatment tactics, the doctor takes into account the nature of the disease. As a rule, when working with patients, the method of interactive imagogy is used, which consists in activating the images of the patient in an unconscious state and bringing them to the level of consciousness. This helps to identify the area of mental problems.

During such psychotherapeutic treatment, the sick person learns to dive inside himself and, with the help of images, becomes aware of his own problems. He always tells the attending physician in detail about the images. In this case, the specialist observes the patient’s semantic field, determining whether these images were truly unconscious or were simply fictitious.

Treatment of catalepsy should be carried out exclusively in specialized centers with the help of highly qualified specialists.

It is a state reminiscent of sleep, during which there is a decrease in sensitivity to both external and internal stimuli. The term “waxy flexibility” is often applied to this condition. In this case, a person can maintain any pose given to him without making any effort. A motor disorder appears, which is expressed in the fact that certain parts of the body maintain a position typical for. Moreover, the patient is able to hold uncomfortable and difficult positions for a long time. It is known that it can occur both during hypnotic sleep and during a number of mental illnesses, such as hysteria, and some others.

The development of catalepsy in most cases occurs gradually, spreading in a sequential order, starting from the cervical muscles and upper extremities, and moving to the muscles of the lower extremities. The reverse development of catalepsy has the opposite direction. It has been established that catalepsy can be not only a short-lived disorder, but in some cases lasts quite a long time, for weeks and even months. Catalepsy is not detected during stupor, accompanied by symptoms of negativism, when the patient resists attempts to change his position. Also, catalepsy is absent if there is stupor with muscle numbness.

Catalepsy is a disorder of the nervous system, the consequence of which is the suspension of vital functions. With catalepsy, hardness occurs in the muscles, a decrease in movement activity, and the person becomes less sensitive to heat and pain. It is interesting that in this state a person hears and sees everything, but cannot make movements. There is a change in the indicators of his pulse and breathing, and the decline in other functions is reduced so much that it may seem that the person is dead. Moreover, this state lasts from one minute to several days.

Experts have two points of view on the origin of catalepsy, which have significant differences from each other. Both neurological and psychological causes have been cited. In the first case, scientists argue that certain brain structures are interested in the development of catalepsy. When discussing another option, a purely psychological explanation of this phenomenon is given. For example, there is an opinion that catalepsy is caused by increased subordination of the will. The basis of catalepsy is a separate shutdown of the cerebral cortex, while at the same time the activity of the nervous motor apparatus and its underlying parts is preserved.

The main significance of this activity is to ensure balance of the human body, as well as its parts. However, being in a normal state, this function is masked by various movements of an arbitrary nature. When catalepsy occurs, the influence of the cortex on the reflex responsible for balancing manifests itself in a more dramatic and open form. The occurrence of catalepsy may be preceded by hysterical seizures and excitement. The disappearance of the attack is accompanied by violent emotional manifestations.

A sudden hysterical stupor finds the patient in a certain position and fixes the position. For example, there are many cases when a patient freezes during a conversation with a doctor. The man had just been talking, accompanying his speech with energetic gestures, when he was overtaken by an attack of illness. In this case, waxy flexibility arises, it makes it possible to change the patient’s position and give him any new position. In some cases, muscle tension is so strong that two people can easily lift the patient, supporting him only by the heels and the back of the head. A hysterical stupor, reminiscent of, can last for several days.

When treating the disease, its nature and the characteristics of the course of catalepsy are taken into account. It should be taken into account that movement disorders observed in certain organic brain lesions are similar to catalepsy, in particular, this is observed if the patient suffers from parkinsonism, which is caused by epidemic encephalitis. These disorders are endowed with persistent symptoms, they are accompanied by other disorders typical of parkinsonism. For treatment, interactive imagogy is used, which is work with the internal forces of the body; in psychotherapy this is called an imago-image.

The principle of operation of the method is that thanks to the technique the patient has the opportunity to see his own diseased organ. Further, based on this picture, a positive image is created, which has a healing effect. Most often, catalepsy is defined as a process that inhibits volitional movements, which is related to a specific stimulus. This disease may be an indicator of hypnosis; it either occurs spontaneously or is caused by formal induction. Hypnosis is often suggested, has specific therapeutic goals, and is directly related to treatment.

Catalepsy is a sleep-like state during which there is a decrease in sensitivity to internal and external stimuli. It has a close relationship with narcolepsy and often precedes narcoleptic seizures. Another name for catalepsy is “waxy flexibility.” The disorder of the motor sphere that accompanies cataleptic sleep is externally manifested in the ability of a person, in a state of cataleptic seizure, to maintain complex and uncomfortable body postures without making any effort. The condition occurs in schizophrenia, hysteria and other mental disorders. For therapeutic purposes, catalepsy is induced artificially, after immersion in a hypnotic trance.

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Treatment options

In the process of treating the disease, attention is paid to the developmental features and nature of the course of catalepsy. It must be taken into account that

waxy flexibility is similar to certain types of movement disorders that manifest themselves in some organic brain lesions. Often such disorders progress in Parkinson's disease.

The treatment method used is interactive imagogy, which is essentially conscious work with the individual internal forces of the human body. In psychotherapeutic practice, such exercises are called imago-image.

The main principle of using this technique is the possibility of visual perception of one’s diseased organs, after which, based on the resulting picture, a certain positive image is transformed, which has a beneficial effect.

The waxy flexibility state can be used in situations where there is a need to significantly limit the patient's motor capabilities to speed up the treatment process. All procedures must be carried out exclusively with the participation of a qualified specialist in specially equipped psychological centers.

What is catalepsy

A cataleptic attack is a process of inhibition of a person’s vital functions. Outwardly, the patient resembles a dead man, but he sees and hears everything without being able to move.

It can be placed or placed in any position that can be easily maintained until the end of the attack. S. Muldoon calls the condition “astral catalepsy,” and among the general public the phenomenon is better known as “sleep paralysis.” A person remains in this state from several minutes to several months.

The disease does not appear all at once; its development occurs gradually, starting from the upper cervical region and arms and then moving to the lower part of the body. In some cases, development is observed in the reverse order. The exit from the state can also take place in the direction opposite to the beginning of the attack. Hypnotic catalepsy is not a disease. It does not require treatment and, if the hypnosis procedure is carried out correctly, does not have negative consequences for the patient. It is recommended to use hypnotic techniques with caution.

Catalepsy is not diagnosed if the patient resists changing posture or if there is muscle stiffness.

During an attack, the patient's pulse and breathing decrease. Outwardly, they become almost invisible.

Muscle hardness occurs, sensitivity to heat and pain decreases, and motor activity almost completely disappears. It is important to remember that the cause of a cataleptic seizure is not external disorders, but a serious disorder of the nervous system that requires the intervention of a specialist.

In the normal state, the work of the nervous motor apparatus is masked by voluntary movements. Catalepsy, affecting the reflex of the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for balancing actions, causes open and more dramatic manifestations of its work.

Features of catalepsy

The state of catalepsy occurs gradually: muscle numbness begins with the cervical and facial muscles and spreads to the muscles of the lower extremities. The attack ends in the reverse order: from the lower extremities upward. The attack may pass quickly, but may persist for weeks or even months.

A sudden stupor that finds the patient in a certain position fixes the position. Often an attack occurs during a conversation. The resulting waxy flexibility allows you to change the position of the carrier of the disorder, giving him any pose. Stupor can cause such severe muscle tension that the patient can be lifted by supporting the heels and back of the head, as magicians do with trained performers. Hysterical stupor, which resembles catalepsy, can persist for up to several days.

Depending on the type of catatonia, disturbances of consciousness may be observed at the time of the attack. With lucid catatonia, carriers of the disorder are aware of everything that is happening. After the attack stops, they tell everything they felt, saw, heard. Such symptoms indicate the development of malignant schizophrenia. With oneiric catatonia, the consciousness of patients is impaired. At the moment of an attack, the patient is immersed in a world of illusions, supplemented by fantastic phenomena.

Symptoms of the disease

An attack of catalepsy can strike a patient at any time in life. In medical practice, there have been cases when a patient froze during a conversation with a doctor. The main difference between stupor with symptoms of waxy flexibility and other diseases accompanied by stupor is the ability to easily change the patient’s posture. Muscular tension during an attack allows you to move and lift a person only by holding the feet and the back of the head. After an attack of catalepsy, the patient experiences a powerful emotional outburst, accompanied by violent reactions.

Main symptoms of catalepsy:

paralysis of the whole body;
muscle hypertonicity;
loss of sensitivity to pain and heat.

In psychology, an attack that is limited to the listed symptoms is called “empty catatonia.” In other cases, the phenomenon is accompanied by hallucinations and delusional, affective disorders. Some patients retain an adequate perception of reality - lucid catatonia. Hallucinations that have a single meaning and maintain a certain sequence appear in oneiric catatonia. After leaving it, patients often experience amnesia for events from the past, but they can retell their visions to the smallest detail.

Cataleptic disorders can accompany not only narcolepsy, schizophrenia and hysteria. Seizures occur in the presence of diseases, with manifestations of increased suggestibility

echopraxia – the patient involuntarily reproduces gestures seen earlier;

negativism (active, passive or paradoxical) - the patient either reacts aggressively to requests, doing completely opposite things, or simply ignores them;

Verbigeration – periodically a person monotonously repeats meaningless phrases and words;

echophrasia and echolalia – the patient involuntarily repeats the words and expressions of the interlocutor he hears.

Features of the disease

Catalepsy is a pathology characterized by the fact that at the time of an attack a person freezes in a certain position for quite a long time with the suspension of all vital functions. There may even be a feeling that the patient is dead. Doctors call this condition “waxy flexibility,” because a person can be placed in any uncomfortable position without much effort, which will persist until the end of such an attack.

Such an attack occurs gradually: first, the neck and facial muscles begin to become numb, spreading to the lower extremities, and it ends in the reverse order. This condition can pass quickly, or it can last for weeks or even months.

Quite often it is during a conversation that such stupor occurs. This condition causes such severe muscle tension that the patient can easily be lifted by the heels and the back of the head. At the time of the attack, a disturbance of consciousness occurs. If such a seizure occurs during malignant schizophrenia, then the patient is aware of everything that is happening. With the oneiric form, a person is immersed in a world of illusions, which is supplemented by fantastic phenomena.

Causes

There are several causes of the disease; they can be neurological and psychological. One of them is the presence of formations in the brain. If we consider the etiology of the disease, patients exhibit increased suggestibility. Attacks of hysteria, stress, and severe anxiety can be a provoking factor.

The pathological condition is based on the “switching off” of the cerebral cortex, but the functioning of the nervous motor apparatus, which is responsible for the balance of the body, remains intact.

Another version of the occurrence of cataleptic states is psychological trauma. This theory is unproven, since a cause-and-effect relationship between traumatic events and catalepsy has not been identified. This is another similarity between catalepsy and narcolepsy.

Causes of catalepsy

Today there are two theories, significantly different from each other, that shed light on the origin of this condition. They are called neurological and psychological reasons.

According to the first point of view, the occurrence and development of catalepsy is associated with brain formations. According to the second theory, this phenomenon has a purely psychological explanation. Thus, there is an opinion that the appearance of symptoms of catalepsy is due to increased suggestibility.

The onset of a pathological condition may be preceded by anxiety and hysterical attacks. The disappearance of the attack is accompanied by violent emotional manifestations.

A sudden hysterical stupor fixes the patient's posture, no matter what position he is in at the moment. For example, there are cases when a patient freezes while talking to a doctor. An attack of illness overtakes a person who has just spoken and accompanied his speech with active gestures. At the same time, the resulting wax flexibility allows the patient to be given any other position. Sometimes muscle tension is so great that two people can easily lift the patient, holding him only by the back of the head and heels.

Treatment

Only a specialist should treat catalepsy. Independent attempts to eliminate the pathology can lead to a worsening of the patient’s condition. The main mistake of self-medication is incorrect diagnosis. Some disorders of the motor system occur when certain parts of the brain are damaged and their manifestations are similar to catalepsy, but are not it.

Organic type brain lesions are very similar to catalepsy. For example, epidemic encephalitis, which provokes parkinsonism. Although the pathology has stable symptoms, it also has other manifestations of parkinsonism.

Creation of an imago image

For treatment, you will need to work with the imago image. This complex technique involves working with the internal forces of the body - imagogy. It takes into account the nature of catalepsy and its features.

In practice, the technique allows you to see your own problematic organ, and based on what you see, a positive image is formed in the patient’s mind that can eliminate the problem. In most cases, catalepsy is expressed as a process of blocking or inhibition of volitional actions, and it relates to a specific stimulus.

During the treatment process, the patient plunges into the depths of his subconscious to discover the causes of the problems that arise. Correctly constructed images help to identify the true cause of the disorder and understand difficult life situations. The patient discusses the scenes he sees with a specialist, who monitors changes in the semantic field. The semantic field is an ontological term denoting the information and energy interaction of people. Its absence suggests that the scenes seen were only a figment of the imagination and work with the unconscious was not carried out. Plots from the subconscious are always accompanied by the presence of a semantic field. Subsequently, the psychotherapist helps the patient interpret the images seen in the correct way.

Features of the course of treatment

When treating mental disorders, special attention is paid to the emotional state of the patient. To carry out full-fledged treatment, the interest of the medical staff alone is not enough; it is necessary to enlist the support of the patient himself, his friends and family. It is important that his environment contributes to the emergence of positive emotions. In the presence of a patient, it is necessary to avoid obscene jokes regarding the disease, ridicule and friendly “jabs”. The recommendation is of particular importance when treating children.

Until the end of treatment, a person should not be left alone to engage in potentially dangerous manipulations. These include driving vehicles and cooking. If the patient is unexpectedly caught in an attack, he must be carefully seated or placed in a comfortable position. During the process, it is important to remember that although the patient cannot reproduce any actions, he hears and sees everything.

One of the factors that contributes to faster recovery is communication. It is important for the patient to maintain contact not only with the outside world, but also to communicate with other patients suffering from catalepsy. Such communication will help him regain self-confidence, relieve stress on his psyche, learn useful tips and make sure that the disease is being treated. Such acquaintances can be made inside specialized centers or using the Internet. Any of the options will have a beneficial effect on the patient’s condition.

Treatment strategy

Before treating catalepsy, it is necessary to conduct a thorough diagnosis and differentiate between other motor disorders. It is important to take into account all accompanying symptoms, stress factors, signs of depression and identify the true causes of the disease.

If a cataleptic attack is part of the catatonic syndrome of schizophrenia, then its treatment is carried out in combination with a mental illness. For narcolepsy, along with psychotherapeutic methods for correcting cataleptic attacks, various psychostimulants are used. Of the entire arsenal of psychotherapy, the most effective method for treating catalepsy is considered to be the method of interactive imagogy, which involves working with imaginative thinking. In any case, only a psychotherapist or practicing psychologist can select adequate therapy.

CATATONIA.

Collier's Encyclopedia.
— Open Society. 2000. Synonyms
:

See what “CATALEPSY” is in other dictionaries:

catalepsy

Numbness, tetanus Dictionary of Russian synonyms. catalepsy noun, number of synonyms: 3 disease (995) ... Dictionary of synonyms

catalepsy

- and in the speech of doctors, catalepsy ... Dictionary of difficulties in pronunciation and stress in modern Russian

- (from the Greek katalepsis grasping, holding), a movement disorder of a person freezing in a position adopted by him or given to him (the so-called waxy flexibility) ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Not to be confused with cataplexy. Catalepsy MeSH D002375 D002375 Catalepsy (Greek κατάληψις grasping, holding) often called “waxy flexibility” in psychiatry (... Wikipedia

CATALEPSY

Books

Absurdity and around, Anna Plotnikova, Anton Tsimmerling, Birut Merzhvinskay, Vladimir Davchev, German Ritz, Daniel Weiss, Dmitry Mayboroda, Jean-Filipp Zhakkar, Igor Smirnov, Konstantin Bogdanov, Leonid Geller, Maria Virolainen, Natalya Fateeva, Nora Buhps , Oksana Chepelik, Olga Burenina, The contents of the collection reflect the program of the international conference “The Absurd and Slavic Culture of the 20th Century,” which took place in October 2001 at the University of Zurich, bringing together representatives... Category: Art and Photography Publisher: Languages of Slavic Culture,
Incomprehensible power Hypnotism personal and therapeutic magnetism and suggestion Complete practical course of hypnotism, Linde-Severin, Reprint from the publication. A complete practical course of hypnotism. 2nd ed. Moscow, Scientific-psychological. publishing house, 1911. 6 drawings in the text. .A generally understandable guide for self-study of hypnotic experiences, and... Category: Other branches of medicine Manufacturer:

Catalepsy is a sleep-like state during which there is a significant decrease or loss of sensitivity to any internal or external stimuli.

Hypnotic catalepsy

Cataleptic stupor is the main manifestation of hypnosis.

It is used for medicinal purposes to limit the patient’s motor activity if this is necessary to restore the body. The method is used to attract the patient’s attention, that is, it is an inducer. Such manipulations can only be carried out in appropriate clinics under the supervision of specialists, as well as the treatment of catalepsy.

You can clearly see the result of introducing a person into a cataleptic state through hypnosis at a hypnotist show. Risky stunts allow you to observe the degree of muscle hypertonicity in this state. The person is placed on two chairs, with only the head and legs fixed on them. A slab weighing about 200 kg is placed on the stomach of a fragile man or woman and then broken. Although such ideas are widespread, they are extremely dangerous. Hypnotic intervention, without medical indications, negatively affects the psychological state of the hypnotized person and can provoke catalepsy as a pathology.

Regular experiments with introducing a person into a cataleptic state through hypnosis will invariably affect his sleep. Such patients often experience obsessive dreams, where they dream that the hypnotist puts them into a state of catalepsy. As a result, the condition is provoked in reality. In a state of natural sleep, muscular overstrain can last for several hours and it is extremely difficult to bring a person out of it. A relapse will greatly upset the dreamer’s nervous system.

Types of catalepsy

In psychiatry there is the following classification of catalepsy:

simple - in this case the patient sees and hears everything, but cannot move;
rigid - manifested by increased muscle tone and their resistance to any changes in the position of the body or its parts;
pharmacological - caused by the effects of drugs;
hypnotic - occurs under the influence of suggestion (hypnosis).

We should also especially highlight astral catalepsy - a trance state that occurs most often at night. Many patients explain this short-term disturbance of consciousness by the action of ghosts, witches or aliens. Official medicine defines this condition as a mental disorder.