Aripiprazole for refractory catatonic schizophrenia – A case report

Abstract

Background: Catatonia is a disorder of varying aetiology characterised by psychomotor disturbance, mutism, negativism, catalepsy, echo phenomenon. Schizophrenia accounts for 10-15% of cases. Atypical antipsychotics are used in treatment resistant cases, of which aripiprazole has a unique D2 partial agonism as mechanism of action. Case description: We present to you a case of catatonic schizophrenia in a 40 year old male that did not respond to optimal does of risperidone, olanzapine, haloperidol, trifluoperazine, amisulpiride, clozapine and ECTs but showed dramatic improvement to Aripiprazole at 20 mg/day. Discussion: Even though the mechanism underlying its action in this case is unclear, we suspect it's the D2 partial agonism characteristic of Aripiprazole that worked where rest all antipsychotics failed. Conclusion: We suggest further study is required regarding efficacy of aripiprazole in treatment refractory catatonic schizophrenia.

Keywords

• aripiprazole
• catatonia
• catatonic schizophrenia