Benign Stupors: A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction TypeHoch, August
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Benign Stupors: A Study of a New Manic-Depressive Reaction Type
Hoch, August
Manic-depressive illness; Stupor
If stupor be a psychobiological reaction, it should occur, occasionally,
in organic conditions just as the deliria of typhoid fever may contain
many psychogenic elements. Gnauck[33] reports such a case. The patient,
a woman, was poisoned by carbon dioxide. At first there was
unconsciousness. Then, as she became clearer, it was apparent that she
was clouded and confused. She soiled. Neurological symptoms were
indefinite; enlargement of the left pupil, difficult gait and
exaggerated tendon reflexes. Months later she was still apathetic,
although her inactivity was sometimes interrupted by such silly acts as
cutting up her shoes. After five months she recovered with only
scattered memories of the early part of her psychosis. What seems like a
typical stupor content was recalled, however. She thought she was
standing in water and heard bells ringing.
Stupor-like reactions are not infrequent in connection with or following
fevers. Bonhoeffer[34] describes a type that follows a febrile
Daemmerzustand of a few hours or a day at most. The affect suddenly
goes, disorientation sets in. Although outbreaks of anxiety may be
intercurrent, the dominant picture is of stupor. Reactions are slowed,
often there is catalepsy. Sometimes there is a retention defect and
confabulation to account for the recent past. Again the retention may be
good. In the foreground stands a strong tendency to perseveration. This
may affect speech to the point of an apparent aphasia or produce
paragraphia. Plainly organic aphasia and focal neurological symptoms are
sometimes seen.
As Knauer[35] has gone thoroughly into the question of the febrile
stupors, the reader is referred to his paper for a digest of the
literature on this topic. Mention has already been made in Chapter IX to
this publication, where the close resemblance of these rheumatic, to our
benign functional, stupors has been noted. Discrimination seems to be
possible only on the basis of delirium-like features being added in the
organic group.
FOOTNOTES:
[C] This chapter has been written mainly from material in Dr. Hoch’s
notes which was manifestly incomplete. No claim is made for its
exhaustiveness.
_The Editor._
[13] Dagonet, M. H.: “De la Stupeur dans les Maladies Mentales et de
l’Affection mentale désignée sous le Nom de Stupidité.” _Annales
Medico-Psychologiques_, T. VII, 5e Serie, 1872.
[14] Newington, H. Hayes: “Some Observations on Different Forms of
Stupor, and on Its Occurrence after Acute Mania in Females.” _Journal of
Mental Science_, Vol. XX, 1874, p. 372.
[15] Clouston: “Mental Diseases.” J. & A. Churchill, 1904.
[16] Stern: “Ueber die akuten Situations-psychosen der Kriminellen.”
Abstracted, _Zeitschr. f. d. ges. Neurol. u. Psychiatrie_, Referate Bd.
V, S. 554.
[17] Wilmanns, K.: “Statische Untersuchungen über Gefängnisspsychosen.”
_Allgemeine Zeitschr. f. Psychiatrie_, Bd. LXVII, S. 847.
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