Aripiprazole for refractory catatonic schizophrenia – A case report
Background: Catatonia is a disorder of varying aetiology characterised by psychomotor disturbance, mutism, negativism, catalepsy, echo phenomenon. Schizophrenia accounts for 10-15% of cases. Atypical antipsychotics are used in treatment resistant cases, of which aripiprazole has a unique D2 partial...
| Published in: | Archives of Mental Health |
|---|---|
| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2015-01-01
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.amhonline.org/article.asp?issn=2589-9171;year=2015;volume=16;issue=1;spage=96;epage=97;aulast=Gorthi;type=0 |
| Summary: | Background: Catatonia is a disorder of varying aetiology characterised by psychomotor disturbance, mutism, negativism, catalepsy, echo phenomenon. Schizophrenia accounts for 10-15% of cases. Atypical antipsychotics are used in treatment resistant cases, of which aripiprazole has a unique D2 partial agonism as mechanism of action.
Case description: We present to you a case of catatonic schizophrenia in a 40 year old male that did not respond to optimal does of risperidone, olanzapine, haloperidol, trifluoperazine, amisulpiride, clozapine and ECTs but showed dramatic improvement to Aripiprazole at 20 mg/day.
Discussion: Even though the mechanism underlying its action in this case is unclear, we suspect it's the D2 partial agonism characteristic of Aripiprazole that worked where rest all antipsychotics failed.
Conclusion: We suggest further study is required regarding efficacy of aripiprazole in treatment refractory catatonic schizophrenia. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2589-9171 2589-918X |