Carlos Morra and Ernst Franzek: Psychopathological Symptoms
Command automatism

Definition: Instructions are carried out  regardless of consequences (Hamilton 1985).

Exploration: Command automatism is present if patient sticks out his/her tongue on the instruction of the examiner without any hesitation even if his/her tongue was pricked by a pin by the examiner on prior occasions when he/she carried out same instruction (Fink and Taylor 2003).

Synonym: automatic obedience

References:

Fink M, Taylor MA. Catatonia. A clinician´s guide to diagnosis and treatment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2003, p. 210.

Hamilton M. Fish´s Clinical Psychopathology. 2^nd Ed. Bristol: Wright; 1985, p. 100.

Carlos Morra and Ernst Franzek

December 8, 2016