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Kline CL, Suzuki T, Simmonite M, Taylor SF. Catatonia is associated with higher rates of negative affect amongst patients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Schizophr Res 2024; 263:208-213. [PMID: 36114099 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Catatonia is a complex syndrome encompassing motor, behavioral, and affective symptoms seen in a significant proportion of patients with schizophrenia. There is growing evidence to suggest affective dysregulation is a salient feature of both catatonia and schizophrenia. To test the hypothesis of a linkage between affective dysregulation and catatonia in schizophrenia, we searched electronic medical records from 36,839 patients with schizophrenia, using anxiety and depression diagnoses as proxies for affective dysregulation. Catatonia was found in 4.7 % of the cohort. Analyses indicated that catatonia was significantly associated with both anxiety and depression co-morbidities: schizophrenia patients with catatonia were 1.71 times more likely to have anxiety and 1.80 times more likely to have depression than those without catatonia. Benzodiazepine usage was also 7.73 times more common in schizophrenia patients with a catatonia diagnosis than without that diagnosis. Taken together, the findings could be related to GABAergic dysfunction underlying schizophrenia, catatonia, and affective dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Kline
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Takakuni Suzuki
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Molly Simmonite
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Stephan F Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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Caroff SN, Ungvari GS, Gazdag G. Treatment of schizophrenia with catatonic symptoms: A narrative review. Schizophr Res 2024; 263:265-274. [PMID: 36404216 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome consisting of psychomotor abnormalities caused by a broad range of disorders affecting brain function. While the nosological status of catatonia is no longer restricted to a subtype of schizophrenia in standardized diagnostic systems, the character, course, and clinical significance of catatonia in people with schizophrenia remain unclear. Evidence suggests that catatonia could be a nonspecific state-related phenomenon, a fundamental core symptom dimension of schizophrenia, or a subcortical variant of schizophrenia. Either way, the validity of catatonia in schizophrenia is clinically significant only insofar as it predicts prognosis and response to treatment. Most contemporary clinical trials of antipsychotics have targeted schizophrenia as an overly broad unitary psychosis neglecting any differential response defined by phenomenology or course. However, early naturalistic studies showed that catatonia predicted poor response to first-generation antipsychotics in chronic schizophrenia and case reports cautioned against the risk of triggering neuroleptic malignant syndrome. More recent studies suggest that second-generation antipsychotics, particularly clozapine, may be effective in schizophrenia with catatonic symptoms, while small randomized controlled trials have found that the short-term response to ECT may be faster and more significant. Based on available data, conclusions are limited as to whether antipsychotics are as effective and safe in acute and chronic schizophrenia with catatonic symptoms compared to other treatments and compared to schizophrenia without catatonia. Further studies of the pathophysiology, phenomenology, course and predictive value of catatonia in schizophrenia are worthwhile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stanley N Caroff
- Behavioral Health Service, Corporal Michael J. Crescenz VA Medical Center and the Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Gabor S Ungvari
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia; Section of Psychiatry, University of Notre Dame, Fremantle, Australia
| | - Gábor Gazdag
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Jahn Ferenc South Pest Hospital, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
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Liu XF, Zhao SW, Kratochvil Z, Jiang JC, Cui D, Wang L, Fan JW, Gu YW, Yin H, Cui JJ, Chang X, Cui LB. Affected cortico-striatal-cerebellar network in schizophrenia with catatonia revealed by magnetic resonance imaging: indications for electroconvulsive therapy and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2023; 3:kkad019. [PMID: 38666113 PMCID: PMC10917379 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkad019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome that can occur in a broad spectrum of brain disorders, including schizophrenia. Current findings suggest that the neurobiological process underlying catatonia symptoms in schizophrenia is poorly understood. However, emerging neuroimaging studies in catatonia patients have indicated that a disruption in anatomical connectivity of the cortico-striatal-cerebellar system is part of the neurobiology of catatonia, which could serve as a target of neurostimulation such as electroconvulsive therapy and repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fan Liu
- Department of Radiology, Xi'an Gaoxin Hospital, Xi'an 710075, China
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Shu-Wan Zhao
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | | | - Jia-Cheng Jiang
- Department of Radiology, The Second Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Di Cui
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Jing-Wen Fan
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Yue-Wen Gu
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Hong Yin
- Department of Radiology, Xi'an People's Hospital, Xi'an 710004, China
| | - Jin-Jin Cui
- Department of Radiology, The Second Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
| | - Xiao Chang
- Institute of Science and Technology for Brain Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Long-Biao Cui
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
- Department of Radiology, The Second Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853, China
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinic Genetics, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China
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Huang MW, Gibson RC, Jayaram MB, Caroff SN. Antipsychotics for schizophrenia spectrum disorders with catatonic symptoms. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2022; 7:CD013100. [PMID: 35844143 PMCID: PMC9289703 DOI: 10.1002/14651858.cd013100.pub2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Whilst antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for schizophrenia spectrum disorders, there have been numerous attempts to identify biomarkers that can predict treatment response. One potential marker may be psychomotor abnormalities, including catatonic symptoms. Early studies suggested that catatonic symptoms predict poor treatment response, whilst anecdotal reports of rare adverse events have been invoked against antipsychotics. The efficacy and safety of antipsychotics in the treatment of this subtype of schizophrenia have rarely been studied in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). OBJECTIVES To compare the effects of any single antipsychotic medication with another antipsychotic or with other pharmacological agents, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), other non-pharmacological neuromodulation therapies (e.g. transcranial magnetic stimulation), or placebo for treating positive, negative, and catatonic symptoms in people who have schizophrenia spectrum disorders with catatonic symptoms. SEARCH METHODS We searched the Cochrane Schizophrenia Group's Study-Based Register of Trials, which is based on CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed, ClinicalTrials.gov, the ISRCTN registry, and WHO ICTRP, on 19 September 2021. There were no language, date, document type, or publication status limitations for inclusion of records in the register. We also manually searched reference lists from the included studies, and contacted study authors when relevant. SELECTION CRITERIA All RCTs comparing any single antipsychotic medication with another antipsychotic or with other pharmacological agents, ECT, other non-pharmacological neuromodulation therapies, or placebo for people who have schizophrenia spectrum disorders with catatonic symptoms. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS two review authors independently inspected citations, selected studies, extracted data, and appraised study quality. For binary outcomes, we planned to calculate risk ratios and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) on an intention-to-treat basis. For continuous outcomes, we planned to calculate mean differences between groups and their 95% CI. We assessed risk of bias for the included studies, and created a summary of findings table; however, we did not assess the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach because there was no quantitative evidence in the included study. MAIN RESULTS Out of 53 identified reports, one RCT including 14 hospitalised adults with schizophrenia and catatonic symptoms met the inclusion criteria of the review. The study, which was conducted in India and lasted only three weeks, compared risperidone with ECT in people who did not respond to an initial lorazepam trial. There were no usable data reported on the primary efficacy outcomes of clinically important changes in positive, negative, or catatonic symptoms. Whilst both study groups improved in catatonia scores on the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS), the ECT group showed significantly greater improvement at week 3 endpoint (mean +/- estimated standard deviation; 0.68 +/- 4.58; N = 8) than the risperidone group (6.04 +/- 4.58; N = 6; P = 0.035 of a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for repeated measures originally conducted in the trial). Similarly, both groups improved on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) scores by week 3, but ECT showed significantly greater improvement in positive symptoms scores compared with risperidone (P = 0.04). However, data on BFCRS scores in the ECT group appeared to be skewed, and mean PANSS scores were not reported, thereby precluding further analyses of both BFCRS and PANSS data according to the protocol. Although no cases of neuroleptic malignant syndrome were reported, extrapyramidal symptoms as a primary safety outcome were reported in three cases in the risperidone group. Conversely, headache (N = 6), memory loss (N = 4), and a prolonged seizure were reported in people receiving ECT. These adverse effects, which were assessed as specific for antipsychotics and ECT, respectively, were the only adverse effects reported in the study. However, the exact number of participants with adverse events was not clearly reported in both groups, precluding further analysis. Our results were based only on a single study with a very small sample size, short duration of treatment, unclear or high risk of bias due to unclear randomisation methods, possible imbalance in baseline characteristics, skewed data, and selective reporting. Data on outcomes of general functioning, global state, quality of life, and service use, as well as data on specific phenomenology and duration of catatonic symptoms, were not reported. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS We found only one small, short-term trial suggesting that risperidone may improve catatonic and positive symptoms scale scores amongst people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders and catatonic symptoms, but that ECT may result in greater improvement in the first three weeks of treatment. Due to small sample size, methodological shortcomings and brief duration of the study, as well as risk of bias, the evidence from this review is of very low quality. We are uncertain if these are true effects, limiting any conclusions that can be drawn from the evidence. No cases of neuroleptic malignant syndrome were reported, but we cannot rule out the risk of this or other rare adverse events in larger population samples. High-quality trials continue to be necessary to differentiate treatments for people with symptoms of catatonia in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The lack of consensus on the psychopathology of catatonia remains a barrier to defining treatments for people with schizophrenia. Better understanding of the efficacy and safety of antipsychotics may clarify treatment for this unique subtype of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W Huang
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Roger Carl Gibson
- Department of Community Health & Psychiatry, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
| | - Mahesh B Jayaram
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Stanley N Caroff
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
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Duque L, Sutor B, Singh B. Recurrent Catatonia Onset in an Octogenarian Woman Managed with Electroconvulsive Therapy. THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2022.01.244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Abstract
Schizophrenia, characterised by psychotic symptoms and in many cases social and occupational decline, remains an aetiological and therapeutic challenge. Contrary to popular belief, the disorder is modestly more common in men than in women. Nor is the outcome uniformly poor. A division of symptoms into positive, negative, and disorganisation syndromes is supported by factor analysis. Catatonic symptoms are not specific to schizophrenia and so-called first rank symptoms are no longer considered diagnostically important. Cognitive impairment is now recognised as a further clinical feature of the disorder. Lateral ventricular enlargement and brain volume reductions of around 2% are established findings. Brain functional changes occur in different subregions of the frontal cortex and might ultimately be understandable in terms of disturbed interaction among large-scale brain networks. Neurochemical disturbance, involving dopamine function and glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor function, is supported by indirect and direct evidence. The genetic contribution to schizophrenia is now recognised to be largely polygenic. Birth and early life factors also have an important aetiological role. The mainstay of treatment remains dopamine receptor-blocking drugs; a psychological intervention, cognitive behavioural therapy, has relatively small effects on symptoms. The idea that schizophrenia is better regarded as the extreme end of a continuum of psychotic symptoms is currently influential. Other areas of debate include cannabis and childhood adversity as causative factors, whether there is progressive brain change after onset, and the long-term success of early intervention initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Jauhar
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Mandy Johnstone
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK; National Psychosis Service, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - Peter J McKenna
- FIDMAG Hermanas Hospitalarias Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain.
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Fritze S, Sambataro F, Kubera KM, Brandt GA, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Wolf RC, Hirjak D. Characterizing the sensorimotor domain in schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:1097-1108. [PMID: 34839404 PMCID: PMC9388408 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-021-01354-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The rapidly evolving field of sensorimotor neuroscience reflects the scientific and clinical relevance of sensorimotor abnormalities as an intrinsic component of the disease process, e.g., in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD). Despite previous efforts, however, prevalence rates and relationships between different categories of sensorimotor abnormalities in SSD patients are still subject of ongoing debate. In this study, we examined five different categories of the sensorimotor domain (Neurological soft signs (NSS), parkinsonism, catatonia, akathisia, and tardive dyskinesia) according to well-established clinical ratings scales and the respective cut-off criteria in a sample of 131 SSD patients. We used a collection of statistical methods to better understand prevalence, overlap and heterogeneity, as well as psychopathological and cognitive correlates of sensorimotor abnormalities. 97.7% of the SSD patients considered by this study exhibited at least one categorically defined sensorimotor abnormality that tended to co-vary within three different sensorimotor subgroups (moderate, hyperkinetic and hypokinetic). Finally, hyperkinetic and hypokinetic groups differed significantly in their neurocognitive performance compared with the moderate group. The results suggest different patterns of clinical overlap, highlight the relationship between sensorimotor and cognitive domain and provide clues for further neurobiological studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Fritze
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Fabio Sambataro
- Department of Neuroscience (DNS), University of Padova, Padova, Italy ,Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Katharina M. Kubera
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Geva A. Brandt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Robert C. Wolf
- Center for Psychosocial Medicine, Department of General Psychiatry, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dusan Hirjak
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany.
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Takács R, Ungvari GS, Antosik-Wójcińska AZ, Gazdag G. Hungarian Psychiatrists' Recognition, Knowledge, and Treatment of Catatonia. Psychiatr Q 2021; 92:41-47. [PMID: 32445003 DOI: 10.1007/s11126-020-09748-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
DSM-5 introduced a number of modifications to the catatonic syndrome, which is now closer to Kahlbaum's original concept. The aim of the present study was to assess residents' and qualified psychiatrists' knowledge, experience and views about the treatment of catatonia in acute psychiatric care in Budapest, Hungary. Authors approached all psychiatric units that provide acute psychiatric care (N = 11) in Budapest and invited all psychiatrists and residents, who consented, to participate in the survey, completing a 13 items questionnaire. Ninety-eight fully qualified and trainee psychiatrists completed the questionnaire. Although 84.7% of the participants rated their knowledge of catatonia as moderate or significant, there were a number of obvious mistakes in their answers. Most catatonic signs and symptoms were not identified by almost 50% of the respondents and the frequency of catatonia was also underestimated. The views of the majority of the participants reflected the Kraepelinian concept, in which catatonia is primarily associated with schizophrenia. Although benzodiazepines are widely recommended as a first line treatment for catatonia, only 69.4% of participants chose them as a treatment option. In view of its clinical importance, catatonia deserves more attention in the education and training of medical students and psychiatric residents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozália Takács
- Psychiatric Outpatient Service- Tóth Ilona Medical Service, Budapest, Hungary.
- School of Doctoral Studies, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Gabor S Ungvari
- University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, Australia
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | | | - Gábor Gazdag
- Centre for Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine -Jahn Ferenc South-Pest Hospital, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University Medical School, Budapest, Hungary
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Tariq M, Afridi MI, Saleem D, Pirzada S. Catatonic Schizophrenia: Cases with Possible Genetic Predisposition. Cureus 2019; 11:e4525. [PMID: 31263634 PMCID: PMC6592464 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.4525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Catatonic schizophrenia is defined by catatonia seen either with alternating phases of stupor and motor rigidity or the extreme phase of catatonic excitement. This variant of schizophrenia has been identified with poor prognosis, mainly due to the higher association with negative symptoms and young age onset. In this paper, we illustrate a similar clinical picture of catatonic schizophrenia in two brothers, with no genetic predisposition to schizophrenia and no proximal stressors apart from the aggressive/violent behavior of their elder brother. Case presentation 1 (Patient A): An 18-year-old male from a lower socio-economic class with no previous mental health issues presented to the emergency department with complete mutism, marked psychomotor retardation, posturing along with a refusal to drink or eat, and complete lack of self-care for about two months. The diagnosis of catatonic schizophrenia was made, and the patient was started orally on aripiprazole and lorazepam. On the third day of admission, noticeable changes were observed, and in the following days, he started eating and going to the toilet while still being completely mute. After two weeks on treatment, he started responding with one-word answers. Case presentation 2 (Patient B): The biological brother of patient A, a 30-year-old male, presented on the same day with an identical history of mutism, decreased psychomotor activity, posturing along with a refusal to drink or eat, and lack of self-care for the past few months. The diagnosis of catatonic schizophrenia was made. The patient was started orally on both, olanzapine and lorazepam. He showed a quicker response to treatment with the maintenance of eye contact on the second day of treatment and started giving short answers to questions on the fifth post-admission day. We here discuss a possible genetic predisposition to catatonic schizophrenia and its initial improvement with lorazepam and subsequent treatment with olanzapine proving to be more efficacious than aripiprazole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Tariq
- Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, PAK
| | - Muhammad Iqbal Afridi
- Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center, Karachi, PAK
| | - Dua Saleem
- Internal Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PAK
| | - Sarmad Pirzada
- Internal Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, PAK
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A Case of Schizophrenia With Catatonia Resistant to Lorazepam and Olanzapine Monotherapy But Responsive to Combination Treatment: Is It Time to Consider Using Select Second-Generation Antipsychotics Earlier in the Treatment Algorithm for This Patient Type? Clin Neuropharmacol 2019; 42:57-59. [PMID: 30762605 DOI: 10.1097/wnf.0000000000000327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Catatonia is a distinct psychomotor syndrome that involves a constellation of up to 40 different symptoms. Although conventionally responsive to benzodiazepines, the catatonic syndrome is much more resistant to benzodiazepine treatment when a feature of schizophrenia. METHOD We present a patient with schizophrenia with catatonic symptoms, marginally responsive to lorazepam challenge, lorazepam, and olanzapine monotherapy, but ultimately began combination treatment with these 2 medications. RESULTS Our patient's score on the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale significantly decreased after 2 weeks of combination lorazepam and olanzapine without adverse effects. CONCLUSION We propose a modification to the standard treatment protocol for catatonia, especially in those patients with schizophrenia with catatonic features.
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