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Right lower prefronto-parietal cortical dysfunction in akinetic catatonia: a combined study of neuropsychology and regional cerebral blood flow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 May 2000

G. NORTHOFF ,
R. STEINKE ,
D. NAGEL ,
C. CZERWENKA ,
O. GROSSER ,
P. DANOS ,
A. GENZ ,
R. KRAUSE ,
H. BÖKER  and
H. J. OTTO
...Show all authors
G. NORTHOFF
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
R. STEINKE
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
D. NAGEL
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
C. CZERWENKA
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
O. GROSSER
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
P. DANOS
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
A. GENZ
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
R. KRAUSE
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
H. BÖKER
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
H. J. OTTO
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
B. BOGERTS
Affiliation:
Departments of Psychiatry, Nuclear Medicine and Biometrics of Otto-von-Guericke University of Magdeburg, Psychiatric Clinic, Haldensleben and Psychiatric Clinic, Blankenburg, Germany; and Psychiatric Clinic, University of Zürich, Switzerland
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Abstract

Background. Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome that can be characterized by behavioural, affective and motor abnormalities. In order to reveal further underlying pathophysiological mechanisms of psychomotor disturbances in catatonia we investigated neuropsychological function and regional cerebral perfusion (r-CBF) in a combined study.

Methods. Ten catatonic patients were investigated with Tc-99mECD brain SPECT and compared with 10 psychiatric (similar age, sex, medication and underlying psychiatric diagnosis but without catatonic syndrome) and 20 healthy controls. Neuropsychological measures included tests for general intelligence, attention, executive functions and right parietal visual–spatial abilities. Correlational analyses were performed between neuropsychological measures, catatonic symptoms and r-CBF.

Results. Catatonic patients showed a significant decrease of r-CBF in right lower and middle prefrontal and parietal cortex compared with psychiatric and healthy controls as well as significantly poorer performance in visual–spatial abilities associated with right parietal function. Correlational analysis revealed significant correlations between visual–spatial abilities and right parietal r-CBF only in psychiatric and healthy controls but not in catatonic patients. In contrast, attentional measures correlated significantly with motor symptoms, visual–spatial abilities and right parietal r-CBF in catatonia only but not in psychiatric or in healthy controls.

Conclusion. Findings are preliminary but suggest right lower prefronto-parietal cortical dysfunction in catatonia, which may be closely related to psychomotor disturbances.

Type
Research Article
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 30 , Issue 3 , May 2000 , pp. 583 - 596
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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