RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2016
Mental Health Nursing
Easy

A disorder in which patient maintains a fixed posture without any movements?

Appeared in: RUHS, Jaipur, M.Sc Nursing Entrance Exam-2016

Explanation

  • The question asks to identify the term for maintaining a fixed posture without movement.
  • Catalepsy is the specific medical term for a psychomotor state where a person maintains a body position, either spontaneously or after being placed in it, for a prolonged period.
  • This symptom is a classic feature of catatonia, a behavioral syndrome marked by motor abnormalities.
  • The key differentiator is the sustained immobility in a specific posture, which is the definition of catalepsy.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: Mannerisms are odd and stylized but involve active, purposeful movements, which is the opposite of the immobility described in the question.
  • Option C: Negativism is an active resistance to external suggestions or attempts to be moved. It is not passive immobility but rather an oppositional behavior.
  • Option D: Perseveration is the act of repeating a particular response (like a word, phrase, or action) despite the absence or cessation of a stimulus. It is about repetition, not a fixed posture.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Use the key finding related to Psychomotor Disturbances in Psychiatric Disorders to guide bedside assessment, documentation, and the next nursing action.
  • Recognizing catalepsy is crucial for nurses as it is a sign of catatonia, which can have life-threatening complications like dehydration, malnutrition, and deep vein thrombosis due to immobility.
  • Nursing care for a patient with catalepsy focuses on safety and physiological stability. This includes ensuring the patient is in a safe position, providing passive range-of-motion exercises, ensuring adequate nutrition and hydration, and monitoring vital signs.
  • What if? If a patient with catatonia also exhibits negativism by refusing all food and fluids, the priority shifts to preventing dehydration and malnutrition. This may require escalation to consider nasogastric tube feeding or intravenous fluids to maintain physiological stability.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, analyze the question stem to identify the core clinical sign described. The key phrase is "maintains a fixed posture without any movements."
  • Next, define each of the options in your mind based on your knowledge of psychiatric terminology.
  • Compare the definition of each option with the clinical sign described in the question.
  • Mannerism involves movement. Negativism involves resistance. Perseveration involves repetition.
  • Catalepsy is the only term that specifically describes a state of fixed, immobile posturing.
  • Select Catalepsy as the correct match for the description.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Psychomotor Disturbances in Psychiatric Disorders
  • Stem keywords: disorder, fixed posture, without any movements
  • Lead-in keywords: A disorder in which
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

Qlvi3ugKvMH8G7NMmJKEyh

Reference Book

E6 Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics(2024) — Volume 1 p. 336-338

E6 Robert Boland, Marcia L. Verduin - Kaplan and Sadock's Comprehensive Text of Psychiatry-Wolters Kluwer Health (2024) (pp 1-16525 of 16525) p. 2340-2342

E6 Kaplan Sadock's Synopsis of Psychiatry-2022 (pp 1-3768 of 3768) p. 1090-1092

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Attempt every question from this paper in a timed mock, then review the full solution for each one.