Carlos Morra and Ernst Franzek: Psychopathological Symptoms
Mitgehen
Definition: The patient moves one part of his body in the direction of the slightest pressure on the part of the examiner, despite of being instructed not to do so (Hamilton 1976).
Exploration: With one finger under the patient´s arm, in standing position, the examiner pushes the arm with a mild force to rise while instructs the patient not to let him rise his arm. It can be also assessed in patient’s legs, in a sitting position, or in the head following a similar procedure, pushing slightly the patient´s forehead while instructing to resist to the pressure (Leonhard 1999). “Mitgehen” is present when the examiner is able to raise patient´s limb, or push patient’s head with a small effort using a single finger, despite his instructions to resist the push.
References:
Fink M, Taylor MA. Catatonia. A clinician´s guide to diagnosis and treatment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2003, p.29
Hamilton M. Fish´s Clinical psychopathology. 2nd Ed. Bristol: Wright; 1976, p.103.
Leonhard K. Clasificación de las psicosis endógenas. Buenos Aires: Editorial Polemos; 1999, p. 143.
Taylor MA, Fink M. Catatonia in psychiatric classification: A Home of its own. Am J Psychiatry 2003; 160:1233–41.
Carlos Morra and Ernst Franzek
September 8, 2016