Treatment of Catatonia With Methylphenidate in an Elderly Patient With Depression

Matthew L. Prowler, M.D., David Weiss, M.D., and Stanley N. Caroff, M.D.

Received June 2, 2008; revised July 1, 2008; accepted July 2, 2008. From the Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA; and the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Send correspondence and reprint requests to Matthew L. Prowler, M.D., Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3535 Market St., 2nd Fl., Philadelphia, PA 19104. e-mail: matthew.prowler@uphs.upenn.edu
© 2010 The Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine

BACKGROUND: Catatonia is especially common among patients with mood disorders. OBJECTIVE: The authors evaluated the effects of methylphenidate as an augmentation strategy in an elderly patient with catatonia and depression. METHOD: Methylphenidate was administered to a catatonic patient who had not responded to lorazepam. RESULTS: The patient showed an acute and marked response to methylphenidate. DISCUSSION: Methylphenidate may be effective as an adjunct in elderly depression patients with catatonia, as well as in medically ill, apathetic patients. However, there have been few attempts to study the role of psychostimulants in alleviating catatonia in general, or catatonia associated specifically with an underlying depressive disorder, even though catatonia is frequently associated with mood disorders.

Treatment of Catatonia With Methylphenidate in an Elderly Patient With Depression