Perservation: Do you repeat yourself or get stuck like a broken record?

18 May 2009
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Perseveration is getting stuck on something. It may be an activity, word, phrase, question or movement, such as tapping, wiping, or picking that is repeated again and again even when it is not appropriate for the situation at hand.

Think of children on a long journey who ask every five minutes 'Are we there yet?' Perseverating is sounding or acting 'like a broken record'.

Carers of people with a brain tumour who were surveyed said that 28% of their relatives frequently repeated certain actions or got stuck on ideas.

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