Response rate of lorazepam in catatonia: a developing country's perspective

Catatonia is a syndrome characterized by concurrent motor, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Short-term benzodiazepine administration and electroconvulsive therapy have proven to be safe and useful for treatment of this syndrome.

This study aimed to explore the evidence of effectiveness of lorazepam as a first line treatment for catatonia in a tertiary psychiatry centre in India given the lack of facilities for ECT in primary care centers of developing countries. We examined the response rate of lorazepam in Catatonia.

Clinical charts of 107 inpatients, admitted over a duration of two years, with a primary diagnosis of catatonia were examined for response with lorazepam trial. Trial was considered as having received 3-6 mg per day of lorazepam for at least 3 days.

Among the patients who were given lorazepam treatment, 32 out of 99 (32.3%) showed response (with complete resolution of catatonic symptoms). Improvement in catatonic symptoms was seen in 68 out of 99 (68.7%) patients.

Lorazepam is cost effective and could rapidly relieve catatonic signs, even without the use of ECT in a significant proportion of catatonic patients. Its early use can prevent disease progression and complications.