Rapidly-progressive catatonia responsive to zolpidem in a patient with ovarian teratoma-associated paraneoplastic encephalitis
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026

Behavioral Characterization of Pentylenetetrazole-induced Seizures: Moving Beyond the Racine Scale
Published on: July 8, 2025
Edilberto Amorim1, Eric M McDade2
1Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Abstract:
Psychiatric symptoms and catatonia are key components of the clinical presentation of paraneoplastic encephalitis; additionally symptoms can be long-lasting and often difficult to treat. We report a 73-year-old patient with rapidly progressive catatonia not responsive to immunotherapy, tumor resection, electroconvulsive therapy, or benzodiazepines who had significant improvement after zolpidem administration. This report suggests that zolpidem is an option in the treatment of patients with refractory catatonia and paraneoplastic encephalitis.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Psychosis: Goals of Pharmacotherapy
Narcolepsy
Antiepileptic Drugs: Potassium Channel Activators
Ezogabine has gained approval as an adjunctive treatment...
Seizures: Classification
Seizures are typically classified into two main categories: focal and generalized seizures.
Focal Seizures
Focal seizures originate from specific regions of the brain. These seizures are further sub-classified into two types:
Restless Leg Syndrome and Night Terrors
The exact cause of RLS is not fully understood, but it is believed to involve dopamine, a neurotransmitter that helps regulate muscle movement. Imbalances in dopamine levels...
REM Sleep Behavior Disorder
RBD is significantly associated with...

