Catatonia as a risk factor for the development of neuroleptic malignant syndrome: report of a case following treatment with clozapine.
Catatonia is characterized by the predominance of psychomotor abnormalities and shares many clinical, biological and treatment response features with the neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS), a rare adverse reaction to psychoactive medications. It has been advocated that the two conditions should be placed along the same spectrum of disorders. A case of a 49-year-old woman, who developed NMS while on low dose clozapine soon after recovering from catatonia, is presented. The potential relationship between catatonia and NMS is discussed in the light of the existing literature, and attention is drawn to the risk for clozapine-induced NMS in catatonic patients.
Paparrigopoulos
Thomas
T
Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, Eginition Hospital, Athens, Greece. Thomas.Paparrigopoulos@iop.kcl.ac.uk
Tzavellas
Elias
E
Ferentinos
Panagiotis
P
Mourikis
Iraklis
I
Liappas
John
J
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002389:Catatonia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003024:Clozapine / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009459:Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D012307:Risk Factors; D012560:Schizophrenia, Catatonic / Q000188:drug therapy
D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D003024:Clozapine