Carphologia

Carphologia

Carphologia (or carphology) is a lint-picking behavior that is often a symptom of a delirious state.

Often seen in delirious or semiconscious patients, carphologia describes the actions of picking or grasping at imaginary objects, as well as the patient's own clothes or bed linens. This can be a grave symptom in cases of extreme exhaustion or approaching death.

Etymology

The word carphology is derived from the ancient Greek "καρφολογια" (karphologia), as a compound of the two Greek elements: "καρφος" (karphos, "straw"), and "λεγειν" (legein), here in its sense of "to collect" rather than the more usual sense of "to say, profess". Thus, carphology literally means "to behave as though one were collecting straw". This refers to the involuntary picking or grasping movements sometimes seen in delirious patients in exhaustion, stupor, or high fever.

Synonyms

The Latin equivalent is floccillation which derives from floccus, "a piece of wool or straw". The late Latin crocydismus, still used in continental European psychiatry, is also synonymous and derived from the ancient Greek "κροκύς" (krokus, "bit of fluff" or "dust"). It appears first in the writings of Aretaeus and later of Galen.

References

  • The Compact Edition of the Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, 1971, p. 343.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • carphologia — noun picking at bedding and clothing, or at the lips, or of perceived invisible objects Syn: floccillation …   Wiktionary

  • carphologia — car·pho·lo·gia …   English syllables

  • carphologia — See: floccillation …   Grandiloquent dictionary

  • carphologia — noun see carphology …   Useful english dictionary

  • карфология — (carphologia; греч. karphologia собирание клочков) двигательное беспокойство больного, лежащего в постели, проявляющееся нерезкими небольшими по амплитуде движениями, напоминающими щипание, собирание мелких предметов и т. п.; возникает при… …   Большой медицинский словарь

  • Карфоло́гия — (carphologia; греч. karphologia собирание клочков) двигательное беспокойство больного, лежащего в постели, проявляющееся нерезкими небольшими по амплитуде движениями, напоминающими щипание, собирание мелких предметов и т.п.; возникает при… …   Медицинская энциклопедия

  • Crocidismus — (Crocydismus, v. gr., auch Carphologia), Flockenlesen, gefährliches Krankheitszeichen, Herumgreifen Kranker auf dem Bette, als wollten sie etwas auflesen …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • Flockenlesen — (gr., Carphologia), das Herumgreifen Kranker auf dem Bett, gleichsam als wollten sie Flocken wegnehmen; Zeichen des herannahenden Todes …   Pierer's Universal-Lexikon

  • carphology — /kahr fol euh jee/, n. Pathol. floccillation. [1850 55; < NL carphologia; LL: fumbling, plucking at straws, blankets < Gk karphología, equiv. to kárpho(s) twig, straw, piece of wood + logia collection; see LOGY] * * * …   Universalium

  • floccillation — noun Picking at the bedclothes, usually seen in delirious, feverish or dying people. Syn: carphologia, carphology, crocydismus …   Wiktionary

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