Emotional and psychotic reactions induced by aphasia.

ABSTRACT

A systematic study of the emotional and psychotic reactions induced by aphasia was conducted on 63 aphasic patients. 'Indifference reaction' was found in 19 cases and 'depressive reaction' in 36 cases. In 3 aphasics, we observed 'Goldstein's catastrophic reaction' and in 3 other patients, a state of 'euphoric unrestrained excitement'. Finally, in 2 aphasics 'psychotic reaction' was found, characterized by a state of psychomotor catatonic excitement. The hypothesis is advanced that the catatonic phenomenology of these subjects may be interpreted as 'Bonhoeffer's acute exogenous reaction' with catatonic symptoms.