Catatonia in DSM 5: controversies regarding its psychopathology, clinical presentation and treatment response

Over the past two decades, there has been an upsurge of interest in catatonia, which is reflected in the attention it received in DSM 5, where it appears as a separate subsection of the Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders (APA, 2013). This commentary argues that due to the lack of solid scientific evidence, the extended coverage of catatonia in DSM 5 was a premature, and consequently, a necessarily ambiguous decision. The psychopathological foundations of the modern catatonia concept are lacking therefore its boundaries are fuzzy. There are only a few, methodologically sound clinical, treatment response and small-scale neurobiological studies. The widely recommended use of benzodiazepines for the treatment of catatonia is based on case reports and open-label studies instead of placebo-controlled, randomized trials. In conclusion, the catatonic concept espoused by DSM 5 is necessarily vague reflecting the current state of knowledge.