Catatonia: “Fluctuat nec mergitur”

In the beginning of the 1900s, the prevalence of catatonia in inpatient samples was reported to be between 19.5% and 50%. From the mid-1900s, most clinicians thought that catatonia was disappearing. Advances in medical sciences, particularly in the field of neurology, may have reduced the incidence of neurological diseases that present with catatonic features or mitigated their severity. More active pharmacological and psychosocial treatment methods may have either eliminated or moderated catatonic phenomena. Moreover, the relatively narrow descriptive features in modern classifications compared with classical texts and ascribing catatonic signs and symptoms to antipsychotic-induced motor symptoms may have contributed to an apparent decline in the incidence of catatonia. The application of catatonia rating scales introduced in the 1990s revealed significantly more symptoms than routine clinical interviews, and within a few years, the notion of the disappearance of catatonia gave way to its un-expected resurgence. Several systematic investigations have found that, on average, 10% of acute psychotic patients present with catatonic features. In this editorial, the changes in the incidence of catatonia and the possible underlying causes are reviewed.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Module for the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale

OBJECTIVE

Catatonia is widely underdiagnosed, in large part due to inaccurate recognition of its specific features. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an online educational module to improve theoretical and practical knowledge of the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) across a broad range of clinicians and medical students.

METHOD

A 1-h online module, including a training manual and videos, was disseminated to medical students, psychiatry residents and fellows, and psychiatrists through national Listservs and through the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry. Participants completed pre- and post-module testing consisting of a 50-question multiple-choice test and a 3-min standardized patient video scored using the 23-item BFCRS. Participants accessed the module from October 1, 2020, to April 4, 2021. Immediate improvement and 3-month knowledge retention were assessed using quantitative and qualitative analyses.

RESULTS

Study enrollment was high with moderate dropout (pre-testing: n = 482; post-testing: n = 236; 3-month testing: n = 105). Adjusting for demographics, large pre-post improvements were found in performance (multiple-choice: 11.3 points; standardized patient scoring: 4.2 points; both p < 0.001) and for nearly all individual BFCRS items. Knowledge attrition was modest, and improvements persisted at 3 months.

CONCLUSIONS

This educational resource provides descriptive and demonstrative reference standards of the items on the BFCRS. This curriculum improved identification of catatonia's features on both multiple choice and standardized patient scoring across all ages and training levels with good overall knowledge retention.

Catatonia in Down syndrome: systematic approach to diagnosis, treatment and outcome assessment based on a case series of seven patients

OBJECTIVE

The goal is to expand our knowledge of catatonia occurring in adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome (DS) by describing the first prospective, consecutive, well-characterized cohort of seven young people with DS diagnosed with catatonia and treated between 2013 and 2018, and to assess each patient's treatment responses. Longitudinal assessment of each patient's response to treatment is intended to provide clinicians and psychiatrists a firm foundation from which assess treatment efficacy.

STUDY DESIGN

Young adults with Down syndrome were consecutively enrolled in the study as they were diagnosed with catatonia. A comprehensive data set included medical, laboratory, developmental, demographic, family, social and genetic data, including query into disorders for which individuals with DS are at risk. Catatonia was diagnosed based on an unequivocal history of regression, positive Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale and positive response to intravenous lorazepam. Patients' longitudinal progress was monitored using the Catatonia Impact Scale (CIS) developed for this purpose.

RESULTS

Seven consecutive DS patients, who presented with unequivocal regression were diagnosed with catatonia and treated for 2.7-6 years using standard-of-care therapies; primarily GABA agonist, lorazepam, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and glutamate antagonists (dextromethorphan/quinidine, memantine, minocycline). Responses to each treatment modality were assessed at clinic visits and through weekly electronic CIS reports.

CONCLUSION

Seven young adults with DS were diagnosed with catatonia; all responded to Lorazepam and/or ECT therapy with good to very good results. Though ECT most dramatically returned patients to baseline, symptoms often returned requiring additional ECT. Dextromethorphan/quinidine, not used until mid-2017, appeared to reduce the reoccurrence of symptoms following ECT. Though all seven patients improved significantly, each continues to require some form of treatment to maintain a good level of functioning. Findings of a significant number of autoimmune disorders and laboratory markers of immune activation in this population may guide new diagnostic and treatment opportunities.

The Phenomenology and Treatment Response in Catatonia: A Hospital Based Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

Literatures regarding clinical symptomatology and treatment response of catatonia are very few.

OBJECTIVE

To assess onset, clinical profile, diagnostic break up, treatment response and outcome in patients diagnosed as Catatonia, reported to a tertiary care hospital.

METHODS

The present study was a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in indoor of Mental Health Institute (Centre of Excellence), S.C.B. Medical College, between March 2015 to March 2016. A total of 34 patients were included in the study who reported at outdoor department of Mental Health Institute with catatonic symptoms. All patients admitted in inpatient department were routinely assessed through a detailed semi-structured interview. The diagnosis of catatonia was made if the patients present with three or more symptoms out of twelve symptoms fulfilling the criteria of DSM-5. All the patients were assessed through Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale. They were initially given parental lorazepam at the doses ranging from 4-12 mg per day as per requirement. Patients who did not respond to lorazepam trial were given ECT.

RESULTS

The patients were predominantly presented with retarded symptoms of catatonia such as staring, mutism, withdrawal, posturing and negativism. Schizophrenia and other psychotic spectrum disorders were more commonly presented as catatonia as compared to mood disorders. Younger age group patients were mainly responded to lorazepam only, whereas older age group patients responded to both ECT and lorazepam.

CONCLUSION

This study has came out with very important insights in the age of incidence, phenomenology, clinical profile, source of referral, diagnostic break up and treatment response with lorazepam and ECT in catatonic patients following mental disorder.