Refusal to speak; may be for conscious or unconscious reasons.
Persistent inhibition of speech seen in some severe forms of mental illness.
A condition of being unable to speak.
A refusal or an inability to speak.
The condition of being unable to speak.
Inability or refusal to speak. It may be innate, the result of being deaf-mute from birth; acquired through brain damage (aphasia); or caused by severe psychological disorder or trauma.
The persistent failure or refusal to speak in situations where speech is normal and expected. Complete mutism is a symptom of a type of schizophrenia. Selective mutism —silence in certain social situations, with speech in others — is found mostly in children. Children with this rare disorder may communicate with hand or body gestures or use short, single syllables.
Inability or refusal to speak; dumbness. Innate speechlessness most commonly occurs in those who have been totally deaf since birth (deaf-mutism). Inability to speak may result from brain damage. It may also be caused by depression or psychological trauma, in which case the patient either does not speak at all or speaks only to particular persons or in particular situations. This latter condition is called elective mutism.
The act of not speaking, whether due to choice or incapacity, is referred to as mutism. This condition can manifest as a sign of profound congenital deafness, severe manic-depressive illness, catatonic schizophrenia, or an uncommon variety of conversion disorder. Additionally, the term “mutism” can describe a deliberate religious commitment to remain silent.
Selective mutism is an uncommon childhood condition (typically emerging before the age of five) characterized by a child’s ability to speak proficiently but their consistent refusal to do so.
Akinetic mutism is a condition of profound passivity induced by certain brain tumors or hydrocephalus (excess fluid around the brain). Individuals afflicted by this state experience incontinence, necessitate assistance with eating, and typically provide minimal responses, often limited to whispered “yes” or “no” replies.