Difference between Cataplexy and Catalepsy? DefinitionĬataplexy is when there is a loss of muscle strength that happens suddenly and unexpectedly. In the case of mental illness, antipsychotics are useful to treat problems like schizophrenia. Treatment may include the use of muscle relaxant medication. The condition also needs to be separated from catatonia which has additional signs associated with it such as problems in communication. Diagnosis:Ĭatalepsy is difficult to diagnose because the signs are quite vague, but often the physical symptoms in conjunction with a condition that generally causes the problem can lead doctors to suspect and diagnose the disorder. A person is less aware of any pain and could possibly harm themselves accidentally while in a cataleptic state. The person also is not as aware of pain and muscle control is greatly reduced or lost. The most noticeable symptom is a stiff body posture. Establishing the cause of the condition is necessary so that the correct management and treatment of the catalepsy can begin. It can also be a result of some medications such as haloperidol. There are many causes of catalepsy including seizures, Parkinson’s disease, substance abuse, and schizophrenia. This is a disorder in which muscles become stiff and the person has a seizure or is in a type of trance regardless of what is going on around them and they are also not as sensitive to pain as they would normally be. Another effective medication for treating cataplexy is Xyrem, a central nervous system (CNS) depressant. Medication including antidepressants such as Tofranil can help in treating this condition. Diagnosis can also be suspected in people who have Prader-Willi or Angelman syndrome who show the symptoms of cataplexy. Recently, a computer-aided system has been suggested as a way to diagnose the condition by recording patient behavior after strong emotional responses. Diagnosis:Ī doctor can diagnose a patient by asking about their history and the types of episodes they have had. The person may injure themselves in severe cases where they totally collapse and fall to the ground. In a child the facial expression may change, their eyes close a bit and the tongue may protrude. In severe cases, the person may collapse. Most often muscles in the face, neck, and arms are affected. Symptoms usually vary from very mild to severe and include the following: a feeling that the muscles are weak. Brain tumors and strokes can cause brain damage leading to cataplexy. There are other causes of cataplexy, though, including having certain genetic conditions such as Angelman syndrome or Prader-Willi syndrome. It is also commonly associated with the sleep disorder narcolepsy. One of the causes of cataplexy is strong emotion such as sudden joy and laughter or anger or fear. She was misdiagnosed with schizophrenia-paranoid type and histrionic personality disorder.Cataplexy is an instantaneous and unexpected loss of muscle strength. She exhibited daytime sleepiness and episodes of body muscle weakness triggered by emotion which were interpreted as “hysterical”. She did not receive any antipsychotic medications and within 3 days her mental status cleared and paranoia resolved. ![]() During her hospital stay, the steroids were discontinued and the paroxetine was continued. ![]() Since her pulmonary status was stable, she was transferred to the comprehensive psychiatric emergency program and then admitted to a local psychiatric hospital. She had been on sodium oxybate for narcolepsy, but discontinued it prior to starting steroids. She was taking paroxetine for an anxiety disorder. She was experiencing an asthma exacerbation due to bronchitis for which she was recently prescribed steroids and clarithromycin. 36-year-old woman with a history of asthma, anxiety, and narcolepsy type 1 presented to the emergency room (ER) with a 2-day history of paranoid ideation.
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