La catatonia emerge de nuevo

Catatonia, a classic psychiatric syndrome, has turned in its conception since its description in XIXth Century. A group of north-american authors differentiates catatonia as a pluriethiological syndrome (organic, the most prevalent, around 76%; affective, the next; schizophrenic; and drug-induced). The most common cause is damage or disfunction in CNS. Physiopathology of catatonia includes D2 disfunction and disbalance in GABAergic/ glutamatergic-NMDA systems. Differential diagnosis is based on a complete somatic, psychopathological assessment, and complementary procedures, and it must consider both Neuroleptic-Malignant Syndrome and Serotoninergic-Central Syndrome. Abuse drugs may also be implicated. Complications due to inmovility must be early diagnosed (pulmonary thromboembolism, aspiration, pressure ulcers). Finally, ethiological treatment, benzodiazepines and/or ECT may be useful therapies in catatonia.