Psychogenic unresponsiveness.
Unresponsive patients with or without catatonic motor signs are etiologically heterogeneous, and all require a comprehensive neurodiagnostic assessment to rule out organic causes. Most cases prove to be due to primary psychiatric disorders, mostly mood disorders, especially mania, rather than schizophrenia. These patients respond to lorazepam administered by any route and, failing this, electroconvulsive therapy. Those patients with associated fever and autonomic instability are medical emergencies and need urgent treatment.
Division of Neurology, Department of Psychiatry and Medicine, University of British Columbia, Canada. t.hurwitz@ubc.ca
Trevor A
TA
Hurwitz
D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced; D003244:Consciousness Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005334:Fever / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008140:Lorazepam / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy
D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D008140:Lorazepam