What is Akinetic catatonia?

Akinetic catatonia is the most common catatonia form. It causes slow movement. A person with akinetic catatonia may stare into space and often doesn’t speak. These common symptoms can be seen in people with akinetic catatonia. People with excited catatonia appear “sped up,” restless, and agitated.

What conditions present with catatonia?

Historically, catatonia is related to schizophrenia and other mental illnesses, such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, and psychosis.

How do you manage catatonic schizophrenia?

Typically, the first step in treating catatonic schizophrenia is medication. Your doctor might prescribe lorazepam (Ativan) — a benzodiazepine — injected either intramuscularly (IM) or intravenously (IV)….Other benzodiazepines include:

alprazolam (Xanax)
diazepam (Valium)
clorazepate (Tranxene)

Can schizophrenia cause catatonia?

Catatonic symptoms can happen not only with schizophrenia, but in mood disorders, autism, and other conditions. But it most often shows up with schizophrenia. Your doctor may tell you that you have catatonia, or catatonic schizophrenia, if you have at least three of these 12 features.

What are the types of catatonia?

There are three types of catatonia:

Akinetic catatonia. This is the most common.
Excited catatonia. With this type, the person may move around, but their movement seems pointless and impulsive.
Malignant catatonia.

What is an example of catatonic behavior?

For example, a person might pace in a repeated pattern and make loud exclamations for no reason at all (i.e., not in response to an environmental stimulus or event). Parrot-like repetition or echoing of words, known as echolalia, is also a common catatonic behavior.

Can Catatonia be fatal?

Catatonic syndrome carries relatively high mortality. One of the causes of death is pulmonary embolism. Prolonged immobility, dehydration, use of low-potency antipsychotic drugs, and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) increase the risk of venous thromboembolism.

Is catatonic schizophrenia an emergency?

Catatonic schizophrenia can be a medical emergency; the BFCRS must be used for early detection. Medical support is often warranted and necessary. Underlying medical and neurological causes must be ruled out. Treat medical complications first.

Why is Ativan given for catatonia?

Lorazepam is preferred over other benzodiazepines because of a longer effective length of action and also because it has a preference for GABAA which is believed to be more involved in catatonia than GABAB. References: Denysenko, L., Sica, N., Penders, T. M., Philbrick, K. L., Walker, A., Shaffer, S., & Francis, A.

Is catatonia and catatonic schizophrenia same?

Catatonic schizophrenia affects the way you move in extreme ways. You might stay totally still and mute. Or you might get hyperactive for no reason. The new name for this condition is schizophrenia with catatonic features or schizophrenia with catatonia.

Do you have catatonic schizophrenia?

What are the treatments for catatonia?

Medications can be very effective in easing catatonic symptoms. They’re the first option for treating catatonia. Specifically, a class of anti-anxiety drugs called benzodiazepines, or “benzos,” can work well to chase away your catatonic symptoms. Your doctor may prescribe: You might take benzodiazepines by mouth or through an IV line.

Do I need to be hospitalized for catatonic symptoms?

If your catatonic symptoms are severe, you may need to be hospitalized for a while. This decision will be based on your safety. Catatonic symptoms sometimes can disrupt your heart rate, temperature, and blood pressure. You can leave the hospital once your symptoms are under control and you have a long-term treatment plan in place.

What triggers catatonia?

We don’t know what exactly triggers catatonia. Researchers have found that people with these symptoms have unusual activity in parts of the brain like the forebrain and hypothalamus that govern body movement. The illness usually starts in your late teens or young adulthood. It is a lifelong condition.