What characterizes "flight of ideas" in a patient's speech?

"Flight of ideas" is characterized by a rapid succession of fragmented thoughts that often move quickly from one idea to another without logical connections. This can create a disjointed or chaotic flow in the patient's speech, making it difficult for listeners to follow the train of thought. The individual's thoughts may come across as scattered, with ideas and statements jumping around, and can sometimes include distractibility, where extraneous thoughts intrude upon the main topic. This phenomenon is often observed in certain mental health conditions, such as mania associated with bipolar disorder.

In contrast, other options describe different patterns of speech. Coherent expressions suggest a clear and logical flow of ideas, which is the opposite of what happens in flight of ideas. Slow and thoughtful articulation indicates a deliberate pace of speaking that also doesn't align with the rapidity of flight of ideas. Lastly, prolonged focus on a single topic represents a focused conversation, which again contrasts sharply with the fragmented nature typical of flight of ideas.