Therapeutic management of catatonia

Catatonic states occur in the context of a wide variety of both psychiatric and medical conditions. Since 1992 benzodiazepines represent a first-line treatment in catatonia, because they offer several advantages: a wide margin of safety, a rapid response, and they are easily administered. Other treatments include atypical antipsychotics, antiglutamatergic drugs, lithium. Lorazepam and other GABA-A promoters (benzodiazepines, zolpidem) increase GABA activity as their mechanism of action.