Patient with waxy flexibility, negativism and rigidity.

A patient presents with waxy flexibility, negativism and rigidity. Diagnosis is:

A. Catatonic Schizophrenia
B. Paranoid Schizophrenia
C. Hebephrenic Schizophrenia
D. Simple Schizophrenia

Answer is A. Catatonic Schizophrenia
Catatonic Schizophrenia is characterized by marked disturbance of motor behaviour in addition to the general features of Schizophrenia.
Common catatonic signs are:

1. Mutism: Absence of speech
2. Rigidity: Maintenance of rigid posture against efforts to be moved.
3. Posturism: Voluntary assumption of bizzare, inappropriate posture for a long period of time.
4. Negativism: Resistance to all commands and attempts to be moved.
5. Echolalia: Repetition, echoing or mimicking of phrases of words heard
6. Echopraxia: Repetition, echoing or mimicking of actions observed.
7. Waxy flexibility: Parts of body can be placed in uncomfortable positions maintained over long periods of time despite being uncomfortable denoting flexibility like wax
8. Mannerism
9. Automatic obedience: Commands are followed automatically, irrespective of their nature.
10. Ambitendency: No well directed action

The patient in the current scenario has typical signs of retarded catatonia, and hence a diagnosis of catatonic schizophrenia.