Impairments in behaviour and motor function characterise a psychiatric disorder called catatonia. People who have catatonia may be completely immobile or have excessive, pointless motor activity.
What exactly is catatonia?
Impairments in behaviour and motor function characterise a psychiatric disorder called catatonia. People who have catatonia may be completely immobile or have excessive, pointless motor activity. Negativism, or an extreme opposition to any orders or directions, is another symptom of catatonia. Additionally, it may present as echolalia, echopraxia, or mutism. Although it can sometimes be noticed in people with other mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, depression, and autism, catatonia is most frequently diagnosed in people with schizophrenia. Catatonia cannot be cured. However, it can be controlled with medicine and other therapies.
Catatonic symptoms
A significant drop in motor activity is one of the symptoms of catatonia. Catatonic people may appear in a coma or stupor and not react to their surroundings. Catatonia can happen to anyone at any age, but young adults tend to experience it the most frequently. Akinetic mutism, or the total absence of voluntary movement, is the most typical sign of catatonia. Akinetic mutism patients might be unable to walk, talk, or eat. Additionally, they might not blink their eyes and have a blank appearance. Other signs of catatonia include posturing, which maintains an unnatural position, negativism, which is resistance to any attempts to move; and catatonia.
Catatonia's main causes
Various distinct factors can contribute to the complex neuropsychiatric disease known as catatonia. A medical ailment, such as a brain injury or an illness that affects the central nervous system, may occasionally be the cause. In other instances, a mental illness like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder may be to blame. It can sometimes result from a drug or different substance reaction. Although the precise aetiology of catatonia is frequently unknown, several factors are likely to contribute to its onset. These include altered brain chemistry, structural alterations to the brain, and a history of mental illness in the family.
Detection of catatonia
Mutism, negativism, posturing, and stupor are characteristics of the neuropsychiatric condition catatonia. The word “catatonia” is derived from the Greek word for “staring,” and a fixed stare is one of the disorder’s most identifiable symptoms. Other characteristics include repeated or strange motions, echolalia or echopraxia (imitating the speech or movements of another), and an enlarged or diminished reaction to environmental stimuli. Clinical examination of these characteristics can identify catatonia. Mental retardation and dementia are unnecessary for the diagnosis, but they frequently coexist with catatonia. A complete medical and psychiatric history should be collected to rule out other potential causes of the symptoms (such as medical illnesses, substance intoxication or withdrawal, and psychological disorders).
Catatonia treatment
A failure in the communication between the brain and the muscles results in the state of catatonia. Numerous factors, including psychiatric problems like schizophrenia and neurological disorders like stroke, might contribute to the syndrome. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and medication, such as antipsychotics, are frequently used to treat catatonia.
Catatonia prognosis
A mental illness called catatonia is characterised by aberrant motor movements and disturbed states of consciousness. With proper care, the prognosis for catatonia is frequently favourable. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and antipsychotic drugs are commonly used in treatment. With treatment, catatonia typically disappears within a few weeks. Catatonia, however, may occasionally develop into a chronic illness.
