Coprophagia as an Unusual Presentation of Catatonia

Psychogenic Hyperphagia: Excessive Eating as Stereotypy in a Patient with Catatonia

“…Neither category has been characterized based on complexity, although reported cases span a broad spectrum of behavior, including those related to drinking and eating. [5][6][7]9 Several factors are crucial in helping to accurately describe, recognize, and categorize behaviors from the perspective of descriptive psychopathology. 10 They include the context in which behaviors are observed, an understanding of personal and cultural norms, the form in which the behavior manifests, and its ultimate content.…”

“…Unlike stereotypies, eating-related mannerisms can usually be more easily recognized as the behaviors are strikingly odd, with urophagia or coprophagia in a medical setting serving as examples. 9 Classifying eating-related behaviors as mannerisms or stereotypies based on the nature of the ingested food has an academic interest, but it does not significantly alter our nosology or treatment.…”

“…While mannerisms may include purposeless repetition, they are fundamentally odd in nature. Neither category has been characterized based on complexity, although reported cases span a broad spectrum of behavior, including those related to drinking and eating 5–7,9 …”

“…In our case, a comparison of current appetite and eating-related behaviors to the patient’s previous baseline helped better identify pathological states than considering the adequacy of his dietary intake; even appetite and weight that appear to fall within normal limits may mask features of catatonia. Unlike stereotypies, eating-related mannerisms can usually be more easily recognized as the behaviors are strikingly odd, with urophagia or coprophagia in a medical setting serving as examples 9 . Classifying eating-related behaviors as mannerisms or stereotypies based on the nature of the ingested food has an academic interest, but it does not significantly alter our nosology or treatment.…”

Coprophilia and Coprophagia: A Literature Review

“…Both paraphilias have been seen in patients with varying psychiatric and neurologic disorders, including dementia (Ata et al, 2010; Byard, 2001; Fonseca & Morgado, 2017; Josephs et al, 2016; Sharma et al, 2011; Tsoucalas et al, 2016), seizures (Arieti, 1944; Azizi et al, 2018; Josephs et al, 2016), brain tumor (Josephs et al, 2016; Stewart, 1995), autism (Baker et al, 2005; Hergüner & Hergüner, 2016; Ing et al, 2011; Kılıç & Kültür, 2019; Pardini et al, 2010), Tourette’s syndrome (Shapiro et al, 1988), schizophrenia (Chaturvedi, 1988; Harada et al, 2006; Lingeswaran et al, 2009; Lyketsos et al, 1985; Razali, 1998), schizoaffective disorder (Josephs et al, 2016), catatonia (Varadarajulu & Mahgoub, 2021), antibodies to N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors (Chong et al, 2009), steroid psychosis (Josephs et al, 2016), Kluver–Bucy syndrome (Marlowe et al, 1975; Mendhekar & Duggal, 2005), sialadenitis (Donnellan & Playfer, 1999), borderline personality disorder (Blasco-Fontecilla et al, 2015), obsessive–compulsive disorder (Zeitlin & Polivy, 1995), depression and hypothyroidism (Nicholls & Ananthanarayanan, 1998), depression and alcoholism (Wise & Goldberg, 1995), affective disorder (Azizi et al, 2018; Nissen & Haggag, 1987), cognitive impairment (Sharma, 2012), intellectual developmental disorder (Beck & Frohberg, 2005; Bugle & Rubin, 1993; Erickson et al, 2017; Hingsburger, 1989; Josephs et al, 2016), and malingering (Jaffe & Sharma, 1998).…”