Electroconvulsive therapy in an adolescent patient with catatonia: a case report

Catatonia is characterized by motor and behavioral symptoms and can arise in a wide variety of medical and psychiatric conditions. We describe the case of a 16-year-old female with a history of anxiety and depression who presented with prominent symptoms of negativism, initially diagnosed as conversion disorder. She failed to respond to increasing doses of benzodiazepines; after over six weeks of hospitalization, she received electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), resulting in significant remission of symptoms. This case demonstrates the importance of prompt diagnosis and treatment of catatonia in adolescent patients, as well as the safety and efficacy of ECT in this population.Abbreviations: AACAP: American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; BPAD: Bipolar affective disorder; DSM-IV: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition; DSM-5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition; ECT: Electroconvulsive therapy; NMDA: N-methyl-D-aspartate.