title: Catatonia. I. Rating scale and standardized examination.
abstract: To facilitate the systematic description of catatonic signs, we developed a catatonia rating examination, rating scale and screening instrument. We constructed a 23-item rating scale and a truncated 14-item screening instrument using operationalized definitions of signs ascribed to catatonia in published sources. Inter-rater reliability was tested in 44 simultaneous ratings of 28 cases defined by the presence of > or = 2 signs on the 14-item screen. Inter-rater reliability for total score on the rating scale was 0.93, and mean agreement of items was 88.2% (SD 9.9). Inter-rater reliability for total score on the screening instrument was 0.95, and mean agreement of items was 92.7% (SD 4.9). Diagnostic agreement was high based on criteria for catatonia put forth by other authors. Seven per cent (15/215) of consecutively admitted patients to an academic psychiatric in-patient facility met criteria for catatonia. It is concluded that catatonia is a distinct, moderately prevalent neuropsychiatric syndrome. The rating scale and screening instrument are reliable and valid. Their use facilitates diagnosis, treatment protocols, and cross-study comparisons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Stony Brook, USA.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bush
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Petrides
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dowling
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Francis
mesh_terms: D002389:Catatonia / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D015588:Observer Variation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results