Eastern Journal of Psychiatry

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VOLUME 24 , ISSUE 2 ( July-December, 2024 ) > List of Articles

CASE REPORT

A Case of Childhood Catatonia

Habiba Begum, Dip J Deori, Dhrubajit Boro

Keywords : Case report, Catatonia, Childhood, Lorazepam

Citation Information : Begum H, Deori DJ, Boro D. A Case of Childhood Catatonia. 2024; 24 (2):56-57.

DOI: 10.5005/jp-journals-11001-0083

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Published Online: 16-11-2024

Copyright Statement:  Copyright © 2024; The Author(s).


Abstract

Catatonia is a marked disturbance in the voluntary control of movements, characterized by several of the following: extreme slowing or absence of motor activity, mutism, purposeless motor activity unrelated to external stimuli, assumption and maintenance of rigid, unusual, or bizarre postures, resistance to instructions or attempts to be moved, or automatic compliance with instructions. A 12-year-old boy presented with this presentation and was planned for a lorazepam challenge test (4 mg IV, 30-minute intervals) and clonazepam (0.25 mg as needed), along with nutritional correction. The patient improved completely on the second day. The patient had first visited a private pediatrician for this condition, but he did not improve with lorazepam (1.5 mg daily dosing). The patient had a computed tomography (CT) brain finding—a hypodense area of attenuation close to the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) at the left cerebellar hemisphere. It is a matter of debate whether the catatonia is of organic origin or something else.


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