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Circumstantial speech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Circumstantial speech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Circumstantial speech

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Circumstantiality)
Circumstantial speech (also referred to as circumstantiality) is a communication disorder in which the focus of a conversation drifts, but often comes back to the point.[1] In circumstantiality, unnecessary details and irrelevant remarks cause a delay in getting to the point.[2]
Circumstantial speech is less severe than tangential speech in which the speaker wanders and drifts and usually never returns to the original topic, and is far less severe than logorrhea.[3]

Contents

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[edit] Symptoms

A person afflicted with circumstantiality has slowed thinking and invariably talks at length about irrelevant and trivial details (i.e. circumstances).[4] Eliciting information from such a person can be difficult since circumstantiality makes it hard for the individual to stay on topic. In most instances however, the relevant details are eventually achieved.
The disorder is often associated with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder.[2]

[edit] Example

An example of circumstantial speech is that when asked about the age of a person's mother at death, the speaker responds by talking at length about accidents and how too many people die in accidents, then eventually says what the mother's age was at death.[1]
Similarly, a patient afflicted with this condition, for example, when asked about a certain recipe, could give minute details about going to the grocery store, the shopping experience, people there, and so on.

[edit] Treatment

Treatment often involves the use of behavioral modification and anticonvulsants, antidepressants and anxiolytics.[5]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Problem-Based Psychiatry by Ben Green 2009 ISBN 1846190428 page 15
  2. ^ a b "Merck Source Library". Dorland's Medical Dictionary found on Merck Source's website. 2002-2009. Retrieved June 1, 2010.
  3. ^ Crash Course: Psychiatry by Julius Bourke, Matthew Castle, Alasdair D. Cameron 2008 ISBN 072343476X page 255
  4. ^ "A definition of circumstantiality". Retrieved November 6, 2009.
  5. ^ Svobada, William (April 5, 2004). Childhood Epilepsy: Language, Learning And Behavioural Complications. Cambridge University Press. p. 672. ISBN 0521823382.

Tangential speech

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tangential speech is a communication disorder in which the train of thought of the speaker wanders and shows a lack of focus, never returning to the initial topic of the conversation.[1] It is less severe than Logorrhea and may be associated with the middle stage in dementia.[1] It is, however, more severe than circumstantial speech in which the speaker wanders, but eventually returns to the topic.[2]
Some adults with right hemisphere brain damage may exhibit behavior that includes tangential speech.[3] Those who exhibit these behaviors may also have related symptoms such as seemingly inappropriate or self-centered social responses, and a deterioration in pragmatic abilities (including appropriate eye contact as well as topic maintenance).[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Forensic Aspects of Communication Sciences and Disorders by Dennis C. Tanner 2003 ISBN 1930056311 page 289
  2. ^ Crash Course: Psychiatry by Julius Bourke, Matthew Castle, Alasdair D. Cameron 2008 ISBN 072343476X page 255
  3. ^ Introduction to Neurogenic Communication Disorders by Robert H. Brookshire 2007 ISBN 0323045316 page 393
  4. ^ Perspectives on Treatment for Communication Deficits Associated With Right Hemisphere Brain Damage by Margaret Lehman Blake 2007 ISSN 10580360 page 333