Lack of motor responses is best described by which term?

• A. Mutism
• B. Stupor
• C. Catatonic excitement
• D. Negative Symptoms

Answer: (B)

Stupor is a state of profound motor and verbal unresponsiveness: the person seems awake but shows little or no movement and little to no response to stimuli. This makes it the best label for “lack of motor responses,” because it directly describes minimal motor activity and responsiveness.

Mutism refers specifically to the absence of speech, which can occur with stupor but doesn’t by itself capture the broader lack of motor activity. Catatonic excitement is marked by excessive, purposeless motor activity, opposite to immobility. Negative symptoms involve reductions in normal functions like motivation or affect but aren’t defined by an acute drop in motor responsiveness.