Catatonia, Not Schizophrenia (Old News)

Childhood Catatonia Commonly Missed, Badly Managed

Medscape - Apr 09, 2013.

NICE, France — Catatonic syndrome is a common child and adolescent psychotic disorder that responds well to benzodiazepines, with the addition of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) if there is insufficient response to benzodiazepines.
However, a retrospective study suggests the condition is frequently missed, that these specific interventions are underused, and that the inappropriate use of neuroleptic drugs can precipitate clinical worsening.



She advised “looking for that constellation of motor, focal, and behavioral symptoms and not to make the pitfall of assuming that it has to be psychosis, because catatonia doesn’t equal schizophrenia, and if you go down that pathway, you may do more harm than good.”