Symptoms or signs involving form of thought

Description

Symptoms and signs involving the logical sequence and coherence of thought, typically manifest in speech, including thought disorder (circumstantiality, tangentiality, disorganised thinking and incoherence), flight of ideas, neologisms, and thought blocking. [1]

Subcategories

• MB25.0 Symptoms or signs of thought disorder

  Disturbances in the associative thought process typically manifest in speech or writing that range from circumstantiality to incoherence. These may be indicative of Schizophrenia and other primary psychotic disorders but can also occur in other mental disorders (e.g., Delirium). [1]

• MB25.1 Flight of ideas

  A nearly continuous flow of thoughts, usually manifested in speech, with rapid changes from topic to topic that are often based on understandable associations, distracting stimuli, or plays on words. In severe cases, the changes may be so rapid that speech is disorganised and incoherent. [1]

• MB25.2 Neologisms

  The invention of new words that have meaning only to the person using them. May also include the use of existing words in ways that are inconsistent with their common meaning. [1]

• MB25.3 Thought blocking

  A phenomenon usually manifested by the person's speech being suddenly interrupted by silences, experienced as a quick and total emptying of the mind. [1]

References

1. World Health Organization. International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision, for Mortality and Morbidity Statistics (ICD-11 MMS), 2026-01 release. World Health Organization; 2026.

WHO text reproduced without changes from the WHO ICD-11 API. © World Health Organization, licensed under CC BY-ND 3.0 IGO. View this entry in the WHO ICD-11 browser.