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. 2020 Jul 6;6(4):e71.
doi: 10.1192/bjo.2020.55.

Catatonic features in children and adolescents with N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis

Michael Eyre  1 , Anya Kaushik  2 , Elizabeth Barrett  3 , Mary D King  4 , Thomas Pollak  5 , Russell C Dale  6 , Susan Byrne  7 , Ming Lim  8
Affiliations

Catatonic features in children and adolescents with N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis

Michael Eyre et al. BJPsych Open. .

Abstract

Catatonia is a psychomotor dysregulation syndrome of diverse aetiology, increasingly recognised as a prominent feature of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis (NMDARE) in adults. No study to date has systematically assessed the prevalence and symptomatology of catatonia in children with NMDARE. We analysed 57 paediatric patients with NMDARE from the literature using the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale. Catatonia was common (occurring in 86% of patients), manifesting as complex clusters of positive and negative features within individual patients. It was both underrecognised and undertreated. Immunotherapy was the only effective intervention, highlighting the importance of prompt recognition and treatment of the underlying cause of catatonia.

Keywords: Clinical neurology; drug interactions and side effects; inpatient treatment; neuroimmunology; organic syndromes.

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Conflict of interest statement

M.E. reports a travel grant from Terumo BCT, outside the submitted work. R.C.D. reports honoraria from Biogen Idec and Merck Serono as invited speaker, outside the submitted work. M.L. reports personal fees from the Advisory Board Octopharma, and non-financial support from Advisory Board CSL Behring, outside the submitted work. A.K., E.B., M.D.K., T.P. and S.B. report no disclosures.

ICMJE forms are in the supplementary material, available online at https://doi.org/10.1192/bjo.2020.55

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Catatonic features and clinical characteristics in children and adolescents with N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibody encephalitis. Frequency of catatonic features and co-occurrence of features within individual patients.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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