Perseveration

Martina Feichter studied biology with an elective subject pharmacy in Innsbruck and also immersed herself in the world of medicinal plants. From there it was not far to other medical topics that still captivate her to this day. She trained as a journalist at the Axel Springer Academy in Hamburg and has been working for since 2007 - first as an editor and since 2012 as a freelance writer.

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Perseveration is when someone sticks to thoughts, idioms, questions or words that were previously used but no longer make sense in the current context. However, the patient can no longer get rid of them, but repeats them over and over again. Perseveration is a formal thinking disorder. Read more about perseveration here.

Perseveration: description

With perseveration, the person concerned remains attached to thoughts, idioms, questions and words that were previously used but are pointless in the new context. His thinking revolves around one and the same thought content in a monotonous, monotonous way. The patient repeats it stereotypically because he cannot mentally complete it. Here the transition from one thought to the next is disturbed.

Perseveration is one of the formal thought disorders. This is understood to mean disturbances in the flow of thought and speech. Further examples of formal thought disorders are slowed thinking, word formation (neologisms) and proliferation.

Perseveration: causes and possible diseases

In the form of compulsive brooding, perseveration occurs especially in a depressive syndrome or an affective disorder:

Depressive syndrome is a state of depression and reduced drive. It can develop, for example, with depression, stress and adjustment disorders or in the context of other diseases such as heart failure or high blood pressure.

Affective (bipolar) disorder is characterized by the recurrence of depressive and manic phases.

Perseveration is often observed, for example, in the context of dementia development. The term dementia describes the continuous decline in mental performance.

Perseveration can also show up in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive-compulsive disorder). This mental disorder manifests itself in the form of obsessions and compulsions.

Perseveration: When Should You See a Doctor?

A visit to the doctor is advisable if you notice monotonous attachment to thoughts and words in yourself or someone close to you and this thought content repeats itself over and over again, although it does not make sense in the current context.

Perseveration: what does the doctor do?

The doctor will first take the medical history (anamnesis): He collects all the important information about the occurrence of perseveration, asks about other symptoms and complaints and inquires about any previous or underlying illnesses. The doctor conducts the anamnesis interview with the patient himself if possible. If this is not possible, he speaks with close relatives.

In the next step to clarify perseveration, the doctor collects a psychopathological finding (also known as a psychiatric or psychological finding). The doctor tries to determine the psychological disorder underlying the perseveration more precisely.

To this end, he examines, for example, the patient's appearance (neat, neglected, neglected, etc.), his behavior and his general psychological state. He also asks specific questions about certain symptoms such as compulsions, hallucinations, depressive mood or orientation problems.

Depending on the suspected diagnosis, further steps are taken, for example certain psychological tests are carried out.