Citation

Luykx JJ, Post EH, Erf MV, Van Hecke J. BMJ Case Rep. 2013; 2013(jun03_1): bcr-2012-008217.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, ZNA Hospital Stuivenberg, Antwerp, Belgium.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2013, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bcr-2012-008217

PMID

23737566

Abstract

Catatonia is a syndrome of motor dysregulation, usually associated with psychiatric, neurological, systemic and drug-related diseases. Retarded and excited types exist, both of which often go unrecognised in clinical practice. We describe a 64-year-old woman who gradually developed insomnia, started communicating less, complained of feeling restless and ended up injuring relatives. Initiation of symptoms followed a fibula fracture. The patient was diagnosed with excited-type catatonia with prominent combativeness because of minor trauma and rapidly recovered after lorazepam treatment instatement. Our case demonstrates that catatonia can follow minor traumatic injury and how excited-type catatonic features may go unrecognised in general practitioner and specialist settings. Moreover, we show that catatonia may be recurrent, necessitating long-term treatment and very gradual lorazepam tapering.

Language: en