Catatonia and delirium in neuropsychiatric patients: frequency, phenomenology and outcome

Abstract

Catatonia and delirium are two different syndromes. Catatonia is a psychomotor neuropsychiatric syndrome with a unique combination of behavioral and autonomic mental symptoms, motors, seen in psychiatric, neurological and medical conditions and after the administration of some drugs. Delirium is a syndrome neurocognitive usually abrupt onset, fluctuating course with prominent cognitive symptoms including impaired attention and consciousness. In this study, all patients with a diagnosis of catatonia and delirium assessment request for the service of neuropsychiatry treated in inpatient services at the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery from 1 April to 30 September 2014. study prevalence, total interconsultations made from the date of baseline was taken as denominator. A total 270 patients, 96 of whom met criteria with the scales used to catatonia or delirium were evaluated. 86 They found 26 delirium and catatonia. 70% of patients had a subtype of catatonic excitement that is characterized by the presence of verbigeraciones, motor excitation, iterations, usage behavior and impulsivity. In this study of 70 patients with delirium was observed only according to the DSM 5 which 7 patients scored for stupor or absence of psychomotor activity, 5 patients scored for silence, 4 negativism and 15 agitation. It can be stated that there may be an overlap between both diagnostic as they can be shared between delirium symptoms hypoactive type and catatonia.