thiopental and Frontotemporal-Dementia

We describe a case of catatonia in a 51-year-old man in whom the catatonic symptoms could not be distinguished from symptoms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) until they were resolved with electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). When it is difficult to distinguish between catatonia and FTD in patients with frontal dysfunction associated with frontal lobe atrophy, we believe that sequential administration of benzodiazepines and ECT is important for therapeutic diagnosis because the risk of missing a diagnosis of catatonia outweighs the risks associated with administration of benzodiazepines and/or ECT.

Topics: Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; Anticonvulsants; Antimanic Agents; Atrophy; Atropine; Bipolar Disorder; Catatonia; Diagnosis, Differential; Electroconvulsive Therapy; Follow-Up Studies; Frontal Lobe; Frontotemporal Dementia; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Neuromuscular Depolarizing Agents; Succinylcholine; Thiopental; Treatment Outcome; Valproic Acid