(COVID-19) SARS-CoV-2-catatonia syndrome: does it exist? Longitudinal evidence

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Catatonia is a complex syndrome linked to various medical and psychiatric conditions, involving motor regulation system dysfunction.
• COVID-19 can cause neuropsychiatric complications through systemic inflammation and cytokine storm.
• The role of acute phase activation in catatonia is rarely documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between COVID-19 and catatonia.
• To analyze catatonia cases before and after the COVID-19 pandemic onset.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective chart review of psychiatric patients over four years.
• Data collected from emergency, outpatient, and inpatient clinics.
• Keywords included 'catatonia', 'catatonia-syndrome', DSM-5 symptoms, and COVID-19 infection.

Main Results:

• Forty patients (20 female, 20 male) were analyzed.
• No significant differences in age, gender, cause, or treatment were found between pre- and post-COVID-19 groups.
• Catatonia symptom diversity also showed no statistical significance between groups; 2 COVID-19 cases were noted post-pandemic.

Conclusions:

• Postinfectious COVID-19 catatonia is a rare complication.
• The study supports the unclear role of acute phase reactants in catatonia.
• Symptomatic management is appropriate given limited understanding of pathogenesis.