Overview
Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by alterations in movement, speech, and behavior 1. It can occur in the context of schizophrenia or other psychiatric and medical conditions 1.Diagnosis
Diagnostic criteria include altered motor activity, volition, and behavior 1.
The Tool for Evaluating the Methodological Quality of Case Reports and Case Series was used to assess study quality 1.Management
Clozapine demonstrated efficacy in treating catatonia, with over 80% of patients achieving at least partial remission 1.
This effect was observed across cohort studies and case reports/series 1.
Clozapine withdrawal occurred in 23.8% of patients in case reports and series 1.
Findings should be interpreted with caution due to the reliance on lower-quality studies and potential biases 1.Key Recommendations
Clozapine may be considered for the treatment of catatonia, with over 80% of patients experiencing at least partial remission 1. (Evidence: Moderate)
Treatment with clozapine should be interpreted with caution due to the methodological limitations of available studies, including reliance on case reports and small cohort studies 1. (Evidence: Weak)References
1 Saini A, Begum N, Matti J, Ghanem DA, Fripp L, Pollak TA et al.. Clozapine as a treatment for catatonia: A systematic review. Schizophrenia research 2024. link