Catatonia

The human mentality is extremely vulnerable. It is capable to react to any changes in an organism painfully. As a result of heavy intoxications, infectious diseases or damage of a brain of organic character the person can have various mental deviations. The catatonia which leads to disturbance of motive function of an organism also belongs to similar frustration. This pathology has the different forms and can arise both at adults, and at children.

Catatonia, forms

There are two forms of a catatonia which can pass one into another: stupor and excitement. Both of these states are combined that they lead to pathological change of a muscle tone at the patient. At the same time essential distinctions have these forms of a catatonia:

• Stupor. This type of a mental disorder arises at substantial increase of a tone of skeletal muscles. The spasm of muscles reaches such force that the patient fades for a long time in one pose, even very inconvenient. Often its situation reminds placement of a fruit in a uterus, that is an embryo pose. At a catatonia of the patient refuses any communication and does not react to painful irritants. It is almost impossible to change position of his body, quite often it remains within weeks and even months;
• Excitement. The similar state is shown by muscular disinhibition. This form of a catatonia can be excited or aggressive. In the first case of the patient plays the fool, sings, accepts pretentious poses. In the second it it becomes frequent a danger source, either for people around, or for itself, depending on an aggression orientation.

Consciousness of the patient at any form of a catatonia can remain rather clear or be dulled.

Catatonic syndrome

Set of the symptoms inherent in motive disturbance at a mental disorder, make a catatonic syndrome. It can be also shown by excitement or a stupor. At the same time the excited state develops gradually or begins sharply. In the first case sick has no disorder of consciousness, he unjustly laughs, repeatedly repeats the same words. At the acute beginning of a disease of people it becomes dangerous to people around, his actions have the destroying character.

The stupor at a catatonia is subdivided into the following types:

• Cataleptic. The patient gains so-called wax flexibility, stiffening in the pose accepted by him independently or under the influence of surrounding people. At this type of a catatonia lack at it of reaction to the loud address is characteristic if questions are set by whisper, the patient begins to answer them;
• Negativistichesky. This type of a stupor at a catatonia is characterized by the fact that any external attempt to change position of the patient or to get moving forward at least it encounters resistance;
• Stupor with catalepsy. Similar the type of a catatonia is connected with the strongest expressiveness of a muscular spasm. Most often the patient is in a germ pose.

The catatonic syndrome often is followed by change of symptoms. The patient is capable to pass from a condition of excitement into a stupor and vice versa. Besides, alternation of different types of a stupor at a chronic current of a catatonia is possible.

Treatment of a catatonia

Diagnosis of a catatonia demands an otgranicheniye from other types of mental disorders. For its confirmation it is required that at the patient within, at least, two weeks one of the following symptoms was accurately shown at least: stupor, excitement, negativism, wax flexibility. At a catatonia treatment is always directed to a cause of illness as the similar mental state can be caused by both organism intoxication, and organic lesion of a brain.

The patient with a catatonia goes to a psychiatric hospital. At the same time he has to be brought to the place of treatment accompanied by health workers. The main medical actions consist in purpose of specialized drugs. These means are designed to remove the cause of a catatonia and to normalize activity of a brain. If after use of medicinal therapy of improvement in a condition of the patient it is not noted, to it electroconvulsive therapy is appointed.

Except a mental state, at a catatonia of control demands also functioning of all systems of an organism. In hard cases of a disease the patient can refuse food that results in need of medicamentous administration of nutrients in an organism.

The catatonia which treatment is rather difficult belongs to difficult mental disorders, is often combined with schizophrenia. It considerably worsens quality of life of the most sick, and also causes many problems to the people surrounding it, first of all, a family. To avoid serious consequences and not to tighten a disease, it is necessary to ask at its beginning for the specialized help.