Catatonia

This is a page about catatonic state. For the band, see Catatonia (band).

Catatonia is a psychiatric symptom that is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is indicative of other conditions such as schizophrenia (catatonic type), bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental disorders, as well as drug abuse and/or overdose. It bears similarity to conditions such as encephalitis lethargica and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. There are a variety of treatments available, and depending on the case, one or more drugs may be used, including antipsychotics and benzodiazepines.

Catatonia is not a mental disorder in itself; it is a symptom of other mental disorders. There is a subtype of schizophrenia called "catatonic schizophrenia" in which the patient experiences an extreme loss of motor ability or constant hyperactive motor activity. Catatonic patients will sometimes hold rigid poses for hours and will ignore any external stimuli.

Contents

1 Types
2 Treatment
3 Trivia
4 External links

Types

Stupor is a motionless, apathetic state in which one is oblivious or does not react to external stimuli. Motor activity is nearly non-existent. Individuals in this state make little or no eye contact with others and may be mute and rigid.

Catatonic excitement is state of constant agitation and excitation. Individuals in this state are extremely hyperactive (although the activity seems to lack purpose) and often violent towards themselves or others.

Treatment

As catatonia is a symptom of an underlying disorder, treatment is generally aimed at the underlying cause. A wide variety of drugs can be used to treat catatonia, depending on the type (i.e. excitement or stupor). The usual treatment is to prescribe first-line antipsychotics (such as risperdal and haloperidol), although benzodiazepines are occasionally used (for catatonic excitement, never catatonic stupor).

Trivia

Percy Wetmore, a vile guard in the famous novel Green Mile by Stephen King, after having received "black bugs" from John Coffey was stricken with catatonia and was subsequently confined to Briar Ridge.
In the novel Intensity, by Dean Koontz, Ariel Delane falls into a catatonic state after being forced to watch the torture and murder of her six year old brother by Edgler Foreman Vess.
In the PC game American McGee's Alice, the main character is catatonic at the beginning of the game.
Syd Barrett, Pink Floyd original frontman, is said to have suffered from catatonia during several of his stage appearances when he would perform with the band on stage.
In the song Beyond The Realms of Death by the heavy-metal band Judas Priest, a man falls into a catatonic state and later dies.

External links

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.