The use of amantadine in catatonia

 We read with interest the excellent

Personal View by Olivier Rascol and

colleagues on the use of amantadine

in Parkinson’s disease and other

movement disorders.1

One movement

disorder for which amantadine

has shown some benefit but the

authors did not mention is catatonia.

Catatonia is a neuropsychiatric

syndrome that occurs in association

with psychiatric disorders such as

schizophrenia and bipolar disorder,

and also various neurological diseases,

including autoimmune encephalitis.

Characteristic clinical signs include

stupor, mutism, posturing, catalepsy,

echophenomena, mannerisms,

stereotypies, and negativism.

Catatonia has been associated

with substantial morbidity and

complications, including pneumonia,

acute kidney injury, and pulmonary

embolus.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EVEua8i4HrJighmDezUBaBIs3NOnw9aq/view?usp=sharing