(Title unavailable)
Location
Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation (CALS)
Publication Date
April 2025
Start Date
17-4-2025 8:00 AM
Description
Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by motor and behavioral abnormalities, often seen in conjunction with psychiatric and medical conditions. While benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are standard treatments, this case report examines the novel use of methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant, in managing catatonia in a 31-year-old male with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and refractory catatonia. The patient presented with profound catatonic symptoms, as measured by the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale, and had a history of poor response to standard therapies, including high-dose benzodiazepines and other primarily GABAergic medications. Despite poor responses to conventional therapies, methylphenidate led to significant improvement in catatonic symptoms, after which psychosis persisted, requiring optimization of antipsychotic therapy with clozapine and Rexulti. The case underscores the potential role of methylphenidate in modulating dopaminergic activity to alleviate catatonia, offering a promising avenue for patients who do not respond to conventional interventions. It also highlights the complexity of managing coexisting conditions such as schizophrenia, necessitating an individualized treatment approach. This report contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the exploration of stimulants as a therapeutic option for refractory catatonia, calling for further research to validate their efficacy, elucidate underlying mechanisms, and calls for further research and potential guidelines for stimulant use in catatonia.
Recommended Citation
Mostafa, Summer, "(Title unavailable)" (2025). Dept. of Psychiatry Research Symposium. 24.
https://digitalscholar.lsuhsc.edu/psych_rd/2025/presentations/24
(Title unavailable)
Center for Advanced Learning and Simulation (CALS)
Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by motor and behavioral abnormalities, often seen in conjunction with psychiatric and medical conditions. While benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) are standard treatments, this case report examines the novel use of methylphenidate, a central nervous system stimulant, in managing catatonia in a 31-year-old male with treatment-resistant schizophrenia and refractory catatonia. The patient presented with profound catatonic symptoms, as measured by the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale, and had a history of poor response to standard therapies, including high-dose benzodiazepines and other primarily GABAergic medications. Despite poor responses to conventional therapies, methylphenidate led to significant improvement in catatonic symptoms, after which psychosis persisted, requiring optimization of antipsychotic therapy with clozapine and Rexulti. The case underscores the potential role of methylphenidate in modulating dopaminergic activity to alleviate catatonia, offering a promising avenue for patients who do not respond to conventional interventions. It also highlights the complexity of managing coexisting conditions such as schizophrenia, necessitating an individualized treatment approach. This report contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the exploration of stimulants as a therapeutic option for refractory catatonia, calling for further research to validate their efficacy, elucidate underlying mechanisms, and calls for further research and potential guidelines for stimulant use in catatonia.