Catatonia Symptoms and Treatment
Here in this post, we are providing insight into “Catatonia Symptoms and Treatment”. You can read Overview, Differences, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Risk Factor. You can discuss your problems in our community, and we will provide you with a short time. Keep visiting Mental Health.
Overviews of Catatonia
Catatonia is a mental condition in which an individual is unable to respond to a given external stimulus and unable to move normally although he/ she is apparently awake.
In catatonia, psychomotor activity is disturbed involving decreased motor activities, engagement during physics examination, and increased odd movements and actions. During severe catatonia, a person needs careful supervision to avoid self-harm and others.
Symptoms & Diagnosis of Catatonia
Three or more symptoms must be present for diagnostic purposes.
1) Refusal to speak or very little verbal response
2) Entirely unresponsive to the external environment.
3) Catalepsy: Having seizures with loss of sensations and rigidity of the body.
4) Unable to change his posture and remain in an immobile posture.
5) No response and opposed to instruction or external environment.
6) The posture is not maintained against gravity.
7) Exaggerating Odd actions are carried out
8) Repeated movement without any cause.
9) Restlessness or irritability
10) Making different facial expressions of hate.
11) Mimicking others’ speech.
12) Mimicking other’s movements
Catatonia according to DSM 5
Catatonia is not treated as an independent class. It is recognized as catatonia with another mental disorder, catatonia due to another medical condition, and unspecified catatonia. It is mostly used as a specifier for other disorders such as depressive, bipolar, and neurodevelopmental disorders.
Types of catatonia
According to researchers, there are three types of catatonia.
- Akinetic Catatonia
- Excited Catatonia
- Malignant Catatonia
Akinetic Catatonia
- People with this type of catatonia often stare and won’t respond when you speak to them.
- Sit in the unusual position
- Not Speak but when speak they repeat your words
Excited Catatonia
- An individual may move but his motion is purposeless
- Symptoms include restlessness, irritability, Purposeless movements
Malignant Catatonia
- More severe form and required immediate treatment.
- Symptoms consist of sweating, fever, delirium, and rigidity.
- Vital signs such as heart rate and breathing rate and blood pressure may vary.
Treatment Of Catatonia
Following are the treatment for catatonia
- Medication
- Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
Medication
Certain Psychotic medication is used to treat Catatonia such as zolpidem, Thyroid hormone, reserpine, muscle relaxants, carbamazepine, amobarbital, Lithium carbonate, benzodiazepines (clonazepam, midazolam & lorazepam), tricyclic antidepressants and Bromocriptine
Atypical antipsychotics should be carefully administered but Neuroleptics should be avoided
Electroconvulsive therapy
In ECT small electric shocks are given to the Catatonic person.
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