What is the term for a patient repeating what was said to them verbatim?

Echolalia refers specifically to the phenomenon where a patient repeats words or phrases they have heard, often verbatim. This can be understood as a form of imitation and is commonly observed in various psychiatric conditions, particularly in children with language delays or in some adults with neurological or psychiatric disorders such as autism or schizophrenia.

The context of echolalia highlights its relevance in assessing communication patterns in patients. It can be both a spontaneous response or prompted when a patient imitates the speech of others, reflecting aspects of their social function or cognitive processing.

Echopraxia, while similar in nature, involves the imitation of movements rather than speech. Flight of ideas and loose associations refer to thought processes that are characterized by a rapid flow of ideas and incoherence, which differ fundamentally from the act of repetitive speech characteristic of echolalia. Understanding these distinctions is crucial for clinicians in evaluating and diagnosing various psychiatric conditions accurately.