Diagnostic overshadowing clouding the efficient recognition of pediatric catatonia: a case series

Abstract

Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric condition that causes disruption of movement, emotion, and behaviors. Children and adults with underlying psychiatric conditions are particularly susceptible to developing catatonia, which may result in medical and psychiatric complications. Although catatonia research has been growing at a rapid rate in the last 20 years, it continues to be met with inefficiencies in its diagnosis and incertitude in its treatment. In the pediatric population, catatonia is plagued by diagnostic overshadowing, where the catatonia is erroneously attributed to existing pathologies that lead to a prolonged disease state. This paper describes three pediatric patients with catatonia that fell victim to diagnostic overshadowing. More rigorous training and education are imperative to improve the efficient recognition and treatment of children with catatonia.