Catatonia

From Psychopathology to Neurobiology

Edited by Stanley N. Caroff, M.D., Stephan C. Mann, M.D., Andrew Francis, M.D., Ph.D., and Gregory L. Fricchione, M.D.

2004
248 Pages
Editorial Reviews

ISBN 978-1-58562-712-7
Item #62712

List Price: $64.00
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APA Resident-Fellow Members: $48.00

Description
Contents
Editorial Reviews
Contributors
About the Authors

During the 20th century, catatonia all but dropped off the agenda of mainstream psychiatric research. However, several dedicated research groups, represented in this volume, continued to report original data highlighting catatonia as a relevant and ideal subject for clinical study. This book, which exemplifies the unparalleled breadth of the knowledge gained, will benefit clinicians managing catatonic phenomena as well as researchers interested in pursuing further investigations.

This book covers in great detail the psychopathology and neurobiology of catatonia, focusing on the history, epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. This comprehensive volume

Offers a wide representation of the historical and worldwide literature on the many variants of catatonia in a single, well-organized text.
Includes work presented by the original investigators, many of whom work outside the United States and have had their previous studies published only in non-English journals.
Covers alternative opinions and perspectives on catatonia, contributing novel and illuminating perspectives on the syndrome.
Addresses areas of controversy—including disagreements over treatment and the nosologic status of catatonia—head-on, in a balanced, evidence-based presentation.
Balances practical clinical material with the underlying neurobiology, presenting clinical aspects in the context of history, epidemiology, cross-cultural perspectives, and neurobiological findings and highlighting the richness and intellectual attraction of the study of the disorder.

Catatonia is unique in offering a diverse, international group of contributors and such a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the clinical and scientific literature, spanning the breadth of contemporary understanding about the nature, meaning, and importance of the syndrome.

Contributors
Preface
Chapter 1. History
Chapter 2. Epidemiology
Chapter 3. Nosology
Chapter 4. Clinical examination
Chapter 5. Standardized instruments
Chapter 6. Laboratory findings
Chapter 7. Neuroimaging and neurophysiology
Chapter 8. Periodic catatonia
Chapter 9. Malignant catatonia
Chapter 10. Medical catatonia
Chapter 11. Drug-induced catatonia
Chapter 12. Pharmacotherapy
Chapter 13. Convulsive therapy
Chapter 14. Prognosis and complications
Chapter 15. Genetics
Chapter 16. Animal models
Chapter 17. Brain evolution and the meaning of catatonia
Index

Dr. Stanley N. Caroff is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and Chief of Inpatient Services at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also serves as Director of the Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Information Service and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States.

Stephan C. Mann, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Director of Clinical Psychopharmacology at the Mental Health Clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He also serves on the Professional Advisory Council of the Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Information Service.

Andrew Francis, Ph.D., M.D., is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of Medicine, where he is Chief of Inpatient Services and Medical Director of the Day Treatment Program. He also serves on the Professional Advisory Council of the Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Information Service.

Gregory Fricchione, M.D., is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School and Associate Chief of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, where he also serves as Director of the Division of Psychiatry and Medicine and Director of the Division of International Psychiatry.

This superb book provides a systematic and practical framework for the understanding of catatonia, a disorder on which we desperately need more research and understanding. It is written in a way that it is a uniform resource for both the student and advanced practitioner. Dr. Caroff and his team uniquely bring together current research as well as evidence-based treatment strategies for an illness that raises questions every time we make a diagnosis. The book is relevant for many types of professionals, including nonpsychiatric physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and all those involved with research on this as well as related topics.—Sanjay Gupta, M.D., Chairman, Dept of Psychiatry, Olean General Hospital; President, Global Research & Consulting; Clinical Prof, Dept of Psychiatry, Univ of Buffalo, School of Med & Biomedical Sci

The definitive textbook on catatonia, written and edited by the world's leading experts in neuropsychiatric movement disorders. A tour de force for clinicians and researchers alike.—Arthur Lazarus, M.D., M.B.A., Senior Director of Clinical Research, AstraZeneca LP, and Professor of Psychiatry, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Catatonia: From Psychopathology to Neurobiology is an excellent small volume on a (of late) neglected topic. It is an edited book with some 29 contributors, but it doesn't suffer from the problems that many such works do. Authors in one chapter frequently refer (accurately) to the contents of another chapter, as if the various authors had actually read the contributions of the others, which, clearly, they did. It actually has the flow of a single-authored work but with the advantage that experts in each area have authored the corresponding chapters.—Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 4/1/2006

This is a comprehensive sourcebook for the field of catatonia. Its ambitious scope includes topics ranging from the evolution of the concept of catatonia to the place of this disorder in the evolutionary framework of human behavior. Each chapter contains a clearly written and balanced review of the relevant literature and is authored by one or more individuals who have contributed substantially to that subject area. Practical and clinically important issues such as assessment, treatment, and differential diagnosis are discussed thoroughly and knowledgeably. Mental health clinicians, researchers, and historians alike will want to add this important resource to their personal libraries.—Ron Gurrera, M.D., Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School, and Director of Inpatient Mental Health Programs, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts

This book is a scientific, cogent, and clinically relevant contribution to the long-overdue resurrection of catatonia, a neuropsychiatric syndrome of fascinating complexity and clinical urgency. The book is authoritative and comprehensive, thought-provoking and practical. It will be valuable to practitioners and scientists alike.—Alan J. Gelenberg, M.D., Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona

This book is an encyclopedic compendium, yet a highly readable summary of catatonia. It captures virtually every aspect of research regarding this syndrome, beginning with a history of its conceptualization, manifestations in medical and psychiatric disorders, treatment, and animal models. Clinicians should find this work an extremely helpful resource in the management of catatonia.—Paul E. Keck Jr., M.D., Professor of Psychiatry, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Vice Chairman for Research, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio

The book has an evocative cover, a comprehensive bibliography for each chapter, user-friendly tables and figures, and an effective index. All in all, this small volume packs a lot of punch and will prove to be a very useful addition to every psychiatrist's library.—Psychosomatics, 4/1/2006