Perseverance is the uncontrollable repetition of a word, phrase, or gesture due to an organic mental illness or brain injury. It can vary in type and is related to developmental abnormalities or lesions in the frontal lobe of the brain. Treatment ranges from behavioral and cognitive strategies to medications. Experts suggest using diversion and behavioral management techniques during childhood.
An often used term in the field of psychology, perseverance describes the uncontrollable repetition of a word, phrase or gesture due to an organic mental illness such as Prader-Willi syndrome in children or traumatic brain injury (TBI) in adults. Even when a stimulus in the environment has been removed or stopped, the individual may continue to display actions of persistence. The word perseverance is related to the word “perseverance”, which is the act or instance of repetition.
The inability to cease a particular action can vary in type. In each case, the individual enters or continues a train of thought that is narrowly focused; in a sense, having tunnel vision. This focus could be on anything from a simple idea to a complex problem. Even if the original problem solving strategy is not the one that works, the person may not be able to change plans of thought, suggesting a disability in abstract reasoning. This condition is measurable with the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test.
Neurologists have found that individuals who show perseverance often suffer from developmental abnormalities or lesions in the frontal lobe of the brain. The extent of perseverance varies from organic disease to brain injury and illicit drug use. Some of these neurological conditions include, but are not limited to, dementia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette’s syndrome, and catatonia. While the word perseverance has been integrated into traditional usage, the word itself is distinguished from other similar ones such as obsession or compulsion. A person with perseverance can actually enjoy the repetitive activities she is engaged in. The term obsession or compulsion is used when such activities become both undesirable and unstoppable actions.
Depending on the extent of persistence, corrective actions may be taken to prevent the condition from worsening. Treatments range from behavioral and cognitive strategies to medications. During childhood, when perseverance affects teachers and peers most, experts suggest using diversion and behavioral management techniques to correct the problem. Management techniques include changing the subject in a conversation, setting time limits, confirming the answer, or simply saying “I don’t know” to end lingering questions. Experts also suggest that teachers and parents teach children the correct and acceptable patterns of social exchange, in order to set a standard for future reference.
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