Catatonic Schizophrenia: Sociodemographic, Clinical Characteristics, and Predisponding Factors for the First Episode

Description

The concept of catatonia has changed in the late 20th century, although catatonic schizophrenia (CS) has received less attention in recent decades. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics, course and predisposing factors in the acute phase of CS.. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Riga Psychiatry and Narcology Center in 2021. The study included inpatients with a primary diagnosis of CS, aged 18 to 65 years. The first and last medical records of hospitalization were analysed in a time frame of 2012-2021.. A total of 24 medical records were examined, (67% of men, 33% of women). The majority of patients had the onset of the disease in the age group of 26-35 years (29%). Prodromal symptoms were observed in 32% of patients, the most common symptom was social isolation (100%). The stupor and numbness were observed in 79,2% of conditions at the first exacerbation of the CS, while motor agitation (70,6%) dominated during the last hospitalisations (p=0.002). In 58.3% of patients, a use of dopamine blockers was detected, in 50% - long-term use of anticholinergic drugs with recent withdrawal or dose reduction, in 37.5% - an increased level of psycho-emotional stress and in 33.3% adverse heredity as a risk factor for the development of CS.. The clinical profile of the first onset inpatient with CS were a man aged 26-35 years, with catatonic stupor, but the symptoms of catatonic agitation prevail in the dynamics of the disease. CS showed associations with use of dopamine blockers, long-term use of anticholinergic drugs with recent withdrawal or dose reduction, adverse heredity, and increased levels of psycho-emotional stress during the life. It is important to emphasize the role of preventive measures that could improve the early detection and planning the care strategies of patients with CS.

Period	29 Mar 2023 → 31 Mar 2023
Event title	RSU International Research Conference 2023: Knowledge for Use in Practice
Event type	Conference
Organiser	Rīga Stradiņš University
Location	Riga, LatviaShow on map
Degree of Recognition	International