Catatonia and Psychosis Related to Epilepsy: A Case Report

Although a variety of metabolic, toxic, psychiatric, and neurologic conditions can produce catatonic syndromes, it is less widely recognized that this state may be caused by epilepsy. We present the case of a woman with catatonic behavior, which she could not recall. She also exhibited olfactory, auditory and visual hallucinations. An EEG demonstrated diffuse abnormal electrical activity, mainly on left temporal and frontal areas. Treatment with anticonvulsant drugs yielded excellent response.