The syndrome of catatonia

Abstract

The syndrome of catatonia presents as damage of willful activity often in association with mood disorders, catatonic schizophrenia, conversion disorders, neurological disease, metabolic disorders, toxic infections of the nervous system, viral infections and autoimmune disease. The object of the article is to present the case of a patient diagnosed with dissociative stupor. There are several reasons why this diagnosis was made. Firstly, a timeline can be established between the event that served as a stressor and the beginning of the patient's symptoms. Secondly, there was a notable decrease in willful movement, speech and reactions to light, noise and touch, while, at the same time, normal muscle tone, body posture and breathing were maintained. Lastly, the key developmental task of moving from the symbiotic phase of development, where the patient was in a state of total enmeshing with the mother and dependency upon her, to a state of higher independence and differentiation had not been resolved. An integrative approach to diagnostics and therapy was implemented, based on the severity of symptoms and level of urgency. After a prolonged hospital stay, the patient was discharged to continue with medication and psychotherapy (support and CBT) as an outpatient.

Keywords

• catatonia
• diagnosis
• differential diagnosis
• case report