Editorial: Catatonia across the lifespan

Abstract

the Research Topic Catatonia across the lifespan A neuropsychiatric syndrome called Catatonia comprises motor, emotional, behavioral, and autonomic abnormalities. It is hence a psychomotor syndrome as it does not only affect motility. Therefore, it can be distinguished from other pure motor disorders such as extrapyramidal syndromes (1). Since the initial description of catatonia by Kahlbaum in 1874, it has also been connected to affective and medical conditions (2). The DSM-5 enhances diagnostic standards and the capacity to identify catatonia in the setting of any mental or medical condition (3).Despite having a prominent clinical presentation and being a prevalent condition, catatonia is, nevertheless, underdiagnosed and undertreated. Its mean prevalence, regardless of the underlying condition, was 9.2% (4). Medical conditions have a higher prevalence rate (20.6%), followed by bipolar disorder (20.2%), postpartum psychosis (20%), autism (11.1%), schizophrenia (9.8%), and mixed psychiatric conditions (5.5%) (4).Catatonia can occur at any stage in life linked to a wide range of physical and mental health conditions, having specific characteristics in children and in older adults (5). Between 0.6 and 1.7% of children and adolescents who are hospitalized for mental health pathologies have diagnosis of catatonia (6). It can occur in up to 37% of persons with NMDA receptor antibody encephalitis (7) and in 17% of patients with autistic spectrum disorders (8). Depending on the diagnostic criteria used, the frequency of catatonia in hospitalized psychiatric patients over the age of 65 ranges from 39.6 to 17.9% (9). In aged individuals, co-morbidity and neurodegeneration increase the likelihood of catatonic symptoms.