Serious Symptoms Of Catatonic Schizophrenia

Poor Emotional Expression

Schizophrenia can lead to poor emotional expression. This is especially true in catatonic schizophrenia, which presents with impaired motor functioning and overall movement. If an individual is excited, they may not express emotions appropriate to the situations around them. At the same time, if an individual is in a stupor or catatonic, they may not express emotions appropriately at all.

Schizophrenia can cause impairment in emotional functioning. It can be difficult to react to situations with the appropriate amount of feeling. Researchers are working on recognizing when emotional functioning is impaired and creating treatments to minimize the symptoms. Flat affect is the term for poor emotional expression. A patient exhibiting flat affect will have an unchanging and apathetic facial expression combined with very little change in their pitch, tone, or strength of voice as they speak.