BACKGROUND There are no modern cross-cultural comparative studies of the frequency and clinical presentation of catatonia in a Western country and India using standardized rating instruments and diagnostic criteria. METHOD A total of 104 consecutively admitted patients in Wales and in India were screened for catatonic features using the same standardized rating instrument by the same psychiat...

Catatonia was described for the first time by Kahlbaum in 1874 (1). It can be defined schematically as a motor dysregulation syndrome accompanied with a behavioral component. There are three main forms of catatonia: (i) akinetic, (ii) hyperkinetic, and (iii) malignant catatonia (2). These various phenotypes of the same syndrome led to a clinical heterogeneousness making the catatonia difficult ...

INTRODUCTION In the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10 and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV classification systems, catatonia is classified as a subtype of schizophrenia. However, catatonia is more frequently associated with mood disorders than schizophrenia. It is also associated with organic conditions. Catatonia respond...

Psychiatric diagnoses are currently categorized on a syndromic basis. The syndrome of catatonia, however, remains in a diagnostic limbo, acknowledged predominantly as a subtype of schizophrenia. Yet, catatonia is present in about 10% of acutely ill psychiatry patients, only a minority of whom have schizophrenia. Among those with comorbid affective disorders, who comprise the largest subgroup of...

Over the past two decades, catatonia has been better demarcated in adult psychiatry as a unique syndrome that consists of specific motor signs with a characteristic response to benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy. Pediatric catatonia is considered rare, but may be underdiagnosed, and hence undertreated. Discussed here are the current diagnostic criteria of catatonia in individual case...

Several studies have reported on catatonia caused by the use of antipsychotic drugs and on the association between catatonia and neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), but none has reported such a case in Korea. Here, we report the case of a 20-year-old woman whose catatonia and NMS appeared associated with the administration of an atypical antipsychotic drug. We discuss the association between ...

Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome that has been described in medical literature since the 16th century [1]. Lifethreatening complications involving every organ system can ensue, signaling high levels of associated morbidity and mortality [2]. To this day, little is known about the etiology of catatonia [3]. Catatonia occurs most frequently in patients with affective disorders and...

Catatonia was first described by Kahlbaum in 1874. Ever since, the concept of catatonia has been the focus of debate, a major point of discussion being its nosological status. The question rises whether it is to be considered a syndrome with a wide variety of causes and clinical signs or a distinct clinical entity. Since catatonia shares a number of symptoms with the neuroleptic malignant syndr...

Background: Catatonia occurs as a complication of various medical and psychological illnesses that can be treated when diagnosed. Despite the high incidence of catatonia, the problem is poorly recognized. This study aimed at investigating the prevalence of catatonia and related factors in its diagnosis within a five year period in hospitalized patients of Zareh Psychiatric Center, Sari, Iran us...

(This article was derived from Catatonia: A Clinician's Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment, written by Dr. Fink and Michael A. Taylor, M.D., and will be available January 2003 from Cambridge University Press--Ed.) Mutism, negativism, posturing, staring and echophenomena are among the odd behaviors seen in adolescents. The possibility that these motor behaviors meet criteria for catatonia is usual...