Treatment of catatonia with methylphenidate in an elderly patient with depression.
BACKGROUND
Catatonia is especially common among patients with mood disorders.


OBJECTIVE
The authors evaluated the effects of methylphenidate as an augmentation strategy in an elderly patient with catatonia and depression.


METHODS
Methylphenidate was administered to a catatonic patient who had not responded to lorazepam.


RESULTS
The patient showed an acute and marked response to methylphenidate.


CONCLUSIONS
Methylphenidate may be effective as an adjunct in elderly depression patients with catatonia, as well as in medically ill, apathetic patients. However, there have been few attempts to study the role of psychostimulants in alleviating catatonia in general, or catatonia associated specifically with an underlying depressive disorder, even though catatonia is frequently associated with mood disorders.
Prowler
Matthew L
ML
Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3535 Market St., 2nd Fl., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. matthew.prowler@uphs.upenn.edu
Weiss
David
D
Caroff
Stanley N
SN
D000368:Aged; D002389:Catatonia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008774:Methylphenidate / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000697:Central Nervous System Stimulants; D008774:Methylphenidate