Columbia Encyclopedia entry: catatonia
Catatoniakăt′ətō'nēə, mental state generally characterized by statuesque posturing, muscular immobility, mutism, and apparent stupor. The muscles are held in a pliant state called waxy flexibility, and the catatonic person obediently permits himself to be rearranged into awkward positions that he may subsequently hold for hours. Another form of catatonia involves continuous incoherent shouting, psychomotor agitation, and a violent destructiveness which can lead to collapse and death if untreated. Loss of memory or intellect is not necessarily implied: catatonic patients often display excellent memory of their surroundings during the catatonic state. In recent years, drug therapy has been helpful in the avoidance of catatonic disturbances, and the appearance of catatonia is now quite rare. Described by Karl Kahlbaum (1874) as catatonia, the term was subsumed under Eugen Bleuler's concept of schizophrenia in 1911. It has recently been classified as catatonic schizophrenia by the American Psychiatric Association.
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Wikipedia search results for: Catatonia
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Catatonia is a syndrome of psychological and motorological disturbances. Karl Ludwig Kahlbaum first described it in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungirresein . In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association it is not recognized as a separate disorder, but is associated with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental disorders, as well as drug abuse or overdose. It may also be seen in many medical disorders including infections, autoimmune disorders, focal neurologic lesions, metabolic...more »
