[Remission of a complex periodic catatonic syndrome under electroconvulsive therapy]

This article is reporting about a spontaneous occurred catatonic syndrome in a 52 years old female patients with no prior psychiatric illness record. The catatonia followed a severe depressive episode with psychotic symptoms. At the beginning additionally to the catatonic-symptoms severe disorientation and memory disturbances were prominent in a way it can be seen in neurodegenerative diseases like Lewy-Body-Dementia and Creutzfeldt-Jacob-Disease. The patient didn't respond on any medication or showed severe side-effects which led to discontinue the medication. After applying widespread somatic diagnostics, which has excluded a neurodegenerative disease a electroconvulsive therapy was applied. During this treatment the patient showed a recurrence of her catatonic symptoms but they remitted if there was a too long period between the convulsive treatments. After establishing a sufficient period between the convulsive treatments the symptoms remitted totally.