Recreational drugs can trigger catatonia weeks later, doctors warn
A case report documents a rare but serious condition where drug use led to catatonia—a life-threatening state of motor paralysis and psychiatric disturbance—with a delayed onset of weeks. The finding has implications for emergency medicine protocols and how clinicians assess patients with unusual psychiatric presentations, particularly adolescents with substance exposure.
Originaltitel: Delayed drug-induced catatonia in an adolescent girl—clinical implications: a case report
<p>Catatonia is a potentially life-threatening condition that is characterized by psychiatric and motor disturbances, such as negativism, hypomotility, bradykinesia, and unusual movements. The diagnosis is based on clinical examination and occurs in both pediatric and adult patients and is associated with an increased mortality. Catatonia is associated with psychiatric illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, encephalitis, and bipolar disorder. The physiopathology of catatonia is complex and not fully understood. There is an ongoing debate in the medical community whether catatonia is an independent syndrome, or secondary to other mental illnesses. This case presentation is unique, as there are few reports describing cases of isolated catatonic syndrome in the absence of any other psychiatric or medical condition with a delayed onset caused by recreational drug abuse.</p>