astasia Med.
(əˈsteɪsɪə)
[mod.L., a. Gr. ἀστασία unsteadiness, f. ἄστατος unstable, never standing still (ἀ- priv. + στατός standing): see -ia1.]
† a. Dysphoria. (Dunglison 1842.) Obs. b. [ad. Fr. astasie.] Inability to stand, as a hysterical disorder. So astasia-abasia, inability to stand or walk. Cf. abasia.
| [1888 P. Blocq in Archives de Neurologie XV. 24 Sur une Affection caractérisée par de l'Astasie et de l'Abasie.] 1890 N.Y. Med. Jrnl. LII. 612/2 Those symptoms, then, of difficulty in standing..and ataxia of movement for the act of walking, but not for other muscular acts, corresponded..to the condition described by Blocq under the title astasia and abasia. 1891 [see abasia]. 1960 Hinsie & Campbell Psychiatric Dict. (ed. 3) 74/1 Although astasia-abasia is not confined to any single psychiatric group, it is probably most common in conversion hysteria. |