Catatonia and Cognitive Impairments: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychiatry
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome often underdiagnosed and undertreated.
• Characterized by motor and behavioral disturbances, its cognitive features remain poorly understood.
• Growing interest exists in cognitive impairments associated with catatonia.

Approach:

• Systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched major databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, PsycArticles) for studies on catatonia and cognitive impairment.
• Included 14 original research articles meeting specific catatonia criteria.

Key Points:

• Executive functions and visuospatial abilities were the most studied cognitive domains.
• Significant heterogeneity in assessment tools across studies was noted.
• Catatonia patients exhibited poorer performance in frontal and parietal functions than controls.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest cognitive deficits in catatonia, particularly in executive and visuospatial domains.
• Methodological limitations and study heterogeneity necessitate cautious interpretation.
• Further research is crucial to comprehensively assess cognitive impairments in catatonia.