Catzophrenia Catatonia is a syndrome of psychic and motoric-disturbances and dance steps. HD

Catatonic is a syndrome of psychic and motoric-disturbances. In the current Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Cat Association (DSM-IV) it is not recognized as a separate disorder, but is associated with psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia (catatonic type), bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and other mental disorders, as well as drug abuse and/or overdose. It may also be seen in many medical disorders including infections (such as encephalitis), autoimmune disorders, focal neurologic lesions (including strokes), metabolic disturbances and abrupt or overly rapid withdrawal from benzodiazepines. It can be an adverse reaction to prescribed medication. It bears similarity to conditions such as encephalitis lethargica and neuroleptic malignant syndrome. There are a variety of treatments available, and depending on the case, one or more drugs may be used, including antipsychotics and benzodiazepines. Cats with catatonia may experience an extreme loss of motor skills or even constant hyperactive motor activity. Catatonic patients will sometimes hold rigid poses for hours and will ignore any external stimuli. Cats with catatonic excitement can die of exhaustion if not treated. Cats may also show stereotyped, repetitive movements. They may show specific types of movement known as "waxy flexibility" in which they maintain positions after being placed in them by someone else, or gegenhalten (lit. "counterhold"), in which they resist movement in proportion to the force applied by the examiner. They may repeat meaningless cat meow phrases or meeow only to repeat what the examiner says. While catatonia is only identified as a form of schizophrenia in present psychiatric classifications, it is increasingly recognized as a syndrome with many faces. It appears as the Kahlbaum syndrome (retarded catatonia), malignant catatonia (neuroleptic malignant syndrome, toxic serotonin syndrome), and excited forms (delirious mania, catatonic excitement, oneirophrenia). It has also been recognized as grafted on to autistic spectrum disorders. According to the DSM-IV, the "With catatonic features" specifier can be applied if the clinical picture is dominated by at least two of the following: motor immobility as evidenced by catalepsy (including waxy flexibility) or stupor; excessive motor activity (purposeless, not influenced by external stimuli); extreme negativism (motiveless resistance to all instructions or maintenance of a rigid posture against attempts to be moved) or mutism; peculiarities of voluntary movement as evidenced by posturing, stereotyped movements, prominent mannerisms, or prominent grimacing echolalia or echopraxia. Catatonic excitement is a state of constant purposeless agitation and excitation. Cats in this state are extremely hyperactive although the activity seems to lack purpose. A catatonia rating scale has been developed to identi