Definition

Noun: A speech disorder characterized by the involuntary and pathological repetition of the same word multiple times in succession.

Usage

This is a highly specific, clinical term used primarily in medical, psychological, and linguistic contexts to describe a symptom of certain neurological or psychiatric conditions. It is not used in everyday conversation.

Examples

• The neurologist noted symptoms of cataphasia in the patient's speech patterns.
• Cataphasia, or the compulsive repetition of a word, can be associated with some forms of aphasia.
• The diagnostic report listed cataphasia as one of the observed language deficits.

Advanced Usage

• Clinical Diagnosis: The term is used formally in diagnostic criteria and clinical descriptions.
  • The presence of cataphasia helped narrow down the differential diagnosis.

Variants and Related Words

• Perseveration (n): A broader psychological term for the continuation or repetition of a thought, word, or action beyond its appropriate context. Cataphasia is a specific type of verbal perseveration.
• Echolalia (n): A different speech disorder involving the automatic repetition of words or phrases spoken by another person.
• Palilalia (n): A speech disorder characterized by the repetition of one's own words or syllables, often with increasing speed and decreasing volume.

Synonyms

• Verbal perseveration (specifically of a single word)
• Pathological word repetition

Antonyms

• Fluent speech
• Normal speech prosody

Noun

1. a speech disorder in which the same word is repeated several times in succession