Abstract
Catatonia has been historically associated with schizophrenia and was previously understood as a psychomotor symptom under the psychotic disorder. However, catatonia lacks the characteristic delusions, hallucinations, and disturbances in thought of schizophrenia and exhibits closer ties to the communication deficiencies and self-injurious behaviors of autism. Recent research and revised diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 have disassociated the two disorders, categorizing them with two separate but interrelated criterion. Revaluation serves to correct the misconception about catatonia and subsequent misidentification which has existed for more than a century. The term itself is being redefined, affecting current patients and therapies. …show more content…
Individuals suffering from catatonia exhibit a variety of psychotic behaviors that encompass the entire body. Catatonic symptoms encompass three major elements of the disorder, catatonic stupor, catatonic posturing and catatonic excitement. These three subcategories help define the composition of catatonia. Historically, psychiatrists have classified catatonia as a psychomotor symptom displayed in a few rare cases of schizophrenia. This understanding has been widely accepted in both the psychological and psychiatric fields for almost one hundred years. Recent developments in classifying catatonia have disassociated the disorders, recognizing catatonia as a separate psychiatric illness with distinct symptoms and treatments. This previous misidentification has led specialists in the field of catatonia to work diligently to distinguish the true nature of catatonia, establish a deeper understanding before diagnosis, and administer effective treatment. Reassessing the structure of catatonia strengthens clinical belief that the disorder may fall somewhere on the autism spectrum, due an overlap in expressed behaviors. However, the individual classification of catatonia as an independent psychological mental health disorder lends itself to be further …show more content…
Over time, the Catatonic Rating Scale has grown over time to include forty motor symptoms of catatonia, many warranting a diagnosis on the autism spectrum as well (Dhossche, Morrens, & Rhebergen, 2014). This lowered requirement and increased identified symptoms has put a person at a higher likelihood diagnosis of both autism and catatonia. As Fink (2013) additionally states, “Autism is marked by mutism, echolalia, echopraxia, odd hand postures, freezing of ongoing movements, rigidities, forced vocalizations, stereotypy, self-injurious behaviors, and insensitivity to pain. All are signs of catatonia” (Fink, 2013, p. 24). Fink further explains that aside from possessing similar symptoms, autism and catatonia also appear to be linked through the shared success of similar psychotropic drug therapy treatments. When left untreated, patients with self-injurious behaviors become increasingly dangerous and others have increases in the depth of their behavior, becoming more reserved, rigid, or mentally distant. These reasons cause the line between the two disorders to blur and individual understanding to vary greatly between clinicians. This may explain why catatonia itself has been so difficult to
Catatonia has been historically associated with schizophrenia and was previously understood as a psychomotor symptom under the psychotic disorder. However, catatonia lacks the characteristic delusions, hallucinations, and disturbances in thought of schizophrenia and exhibits closer ties to the communication deficiencies and self-injurious behaviors of autism. Recent research and revised diagnostic criteria in the DSM-5 have disassociated the two disorders, categorizing them with two separate but interrelated criterion. Revaluation serves to correct the misconception about catatonia and subsequent misidentification which has existed for more than a century. The term itself is being redefined, affecting current patients and therapies. …show more content…
Individuals suffering from catatonia exhibit a variety of psychotic behaviors that encompass the entire body. Catatonic symptoms encompass three major elements of the disorder, catatonic stupor, catatonic posturing and catatonic excitement. These three subcategories help define the composition of catatonia. Historically, psychiatrists have classified catatonia as a psychomotor symptom displayed in a few rare cases of schizophrenia. This understanding has been widely accepted in both the psychological and psychiatric fields for almost one hundred years. Recent developments in classifying catatonia have disassociated the disorders, recognizing catatonia as a separate psychiatric illness with distinct symptoms and treatments. This previous misidentification has led specialists in the field of catatonia to work diligently to distinguish the true nature of catatonia, establish a deeper understanding before diagnosis, and administer effective treatment. Reassessing the structure of catatonia strengthens clinical belief that the disorder may fall somewhere on the autism spectrum, due an overlap in expressed behaviors. However, the individual classification of catatonia as an independent psychological mental health disorder lends itself to be further …show more content…
Over time, the Catatonic Rating Scale has grown over time to include forty motor symptoms of catatonia, many warranting a diagnosis on the autism spectrum as well (Dhossche, Morrens, & Rhebergen, 2014). This lowered requirement and increased identified symptoms has put a person at a higher likelihood diagnosis of both autism and catatonia. As Fink (2013) additionally states, “Autism is marked by mutism, echolalia, echopraxia, odd hand postures, freezing of ongoing movements, rigidities, forced vocalizations, stereotypy, self-injurious behaviors, and insensitivity to pain. All are signs of catatonia” (Fink, 2013, p. 24). Fink further explains that aside from possessing similar symptoms, autism and catatonia also appear to be linked through the shared success of similar psychotropic drug therapy treatments. When left untreated, patients with self-injurious behaviors become increasingly dangerous and others have increases in the depth of their behavior, becoming more reserved, rigid, or mentally distant. These reasons cause the line between the two disorders to blur and individual understanding to vary greatly between clinicians. This may explain why catatonia itself has been so difficult to