Slow with an Altered Sensorium

Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric syndrome that represents an uncommon clinical end point of a number of primary psychiatric and neuromedical conditions. The common pathophysiology may be associated with reduced dopaminergic activity within the frontal–subcortical circuitry. The incidence of catatonia was considerably higher before the introduction of neuroleptics, which reduced its association with poorly controlled schizophrenia. Catatonia is a syndrome with a spectrum from benign to malignant, the latter being a medical emergency with a significant mortality rate. Treatment is with benzodiazepines, which can be sufficient in less severe cases, and in more resistant or malignant cases with life-threatening clinical features, electroconvulsive therapy is sometimes applied.