Paralyzed by Fear?—A Case Report in the Context of Narrative Review on Catatonia

Abstract

In ICD-11, catatonia is a complex syndrome that includes psychomotor disorders (negativity, catalepsy, wax flexibility, mutism, automatism, mannerisms, or echolalia) and volitional processes affect modulation and action planning, which leads to hypofunctional, hyperfunctional, or parafunctional motor action. This is a very important clue that this state can be associated with both mental and somatic diseases. In order to create a narrative review, authors analyzed the diagnostic criteria of ICD-10 and ICD-11 and searched the PubMed medical base for articles on the diagnosis and different approaches to the treatment of catatonia. The treatment of catatonia is not standardized. It is based on the use of benzodiazepines, GABAa receptor antagonists, NMDA receptor antagonists, D2 receptor antagonist, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The authors also would like to present the case of a patient in whom the diagnosis of catatonia was not so clear according to the diagnostic criteria, emphasizing the importance of the key diagnosis for the patient’s recovery. The authors would also like to point out that the topic of catatonia should be of interest not only to psychiatrists, but also to doctors of other specialties, who may encounter cases of catatonia complicating somatic states in hospital wards.