Catatonia is a symptom of an underlying problem, associated with mental health conditions and medical problems. Treatment involves bringing the patient out of catatonia and addressing the cause to prevent future episodes and complications. Immediate treatment may include drugs, and doctors are interested in the cause, which can include mental illnesses and medical conditions such as brain damage and epilepsy. Some patients may not recover from catatonia, which can be a sign of severe brain injury.
Catatonia is a phenomenon associated with some mental health conditions, as well as medical problems such as epilepsy and severe trauma. Rather than being an isolated medical condition, it is a symptom of an underlying problem. Treatment involves interventions to bring the patient out of catatonia, followed by a diagnostic evaluation to learn more about the cause and address it with the goal of preventing future episodes, as well as potential complications.
The stereotypical version of catatonia is a picture of a person who doesn’t move, speak, or doesn’t respond to stimuli. This is an extreme form, known as catatonic stupor. Most commonly, patients with catatonia move and respond to stimuli, but very slowly, and may have impaired motor coordination and difficulty following conversations and grasping complex concepts. The patient may resist attempts to move the body and may engage in repetitive, aimless movements.
Some patients experience catatonic excitement, where they become very agitated while in this state. This can pose a risk of self-harm, as patients may hit objects or throw their bodies. Other patients may begin to echo the speech they hear without actively forming speech themselves, or speak in gibberish as a result of their excitement. Patients may also do things like sit still for hours or hold a pose they’re in for an extended period of time.
Immediate treatment may include the administration of drugs, selected on the basis of the patient’s history and the specifics of the apparent catatonic state. Doctors are also interested in the cause. Mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are sometimes behind this state. If a patient is being treated for a mental health condition, treatment must be tailored to address emerging catatonia and prevent the development of new symptoms.
Medical conditions such as severe brain damage from trauma or high fever, epilepsy, and related conditions can also cause catatonia. In some cases, the emergence of this symptom may be a sign that the patient’s condition is very serious. The patient may not recover from catatonia, as the state is evidence of severe brain injury. Patients who have a history of serious illness such as an aggressive flu infection who develop catatonia during the course of treatment are a cause for concern as the symptom may be a sign that the brain and body are starting to shut down due to damage caused by the illness.
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