first-rank symptoms
symptoms originally proposed by German psychiatrist Kurt Schneider (1887–1967) for the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia. They are audible thoughts; hearing voices arguing or commenting on one’s actions; thought withdrawal, diffusion, and other disturbances; delusional perceptions; somatic passivity (experiencing external forces as influencing or controlling one’s body); and other external impositions on feelings, inputs, and actions. It is now known that these symptoms can also occur in other psychotic disorders, in mood disorders, and in neurological disorders. Compare second-rank symptoms.