Catatonia, “a syndrome of altered motor behavior accompanying many general and neurological disorders,”1 is common, affecting 9.8% of adults admitted to psychiatric hospitals.2 However, catatonia frequently goes unrecognized, leading to the erroneous conclusion that it is rare. A Dutch study found that clinicians identified catatonia in only 2% of 139 patients, whereas a research team identified catatonia in 18%.3
“Catatonia is treatable, but the sad component is that the true diagnosis is often not made and appropriate treatment is not provided,” Max Fink, MD, professor emeritus of psychiatry and neurology, Stony Brook School of Medicine, New York, told Psychiatry Advisor.