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Catatonia in a woman who is profoundly deaf-mute: case report
- Authors:
- AKINTOMIDE Gbolagade, PORTER Stuart Williams, PIERCE Anita
- Journal article citation:
- Psychiatrist (The), 36(11), November 2012, pp.418-421.
- Publisher:
- Royal College of Psychiatrists
The authors suggest that catatonia is a common, but underrecognised, complication of bipolar disorder, with a quarter of in-patients with bipolar disorder developing the condition. Almost 9 million people in the UK are deaf or have a significant hearing problem and British Sign Language is the preferred language of 50 000-70 000 people within the UK. At the normal population rate, between 1 and 2% of these individuals will experience bipolar disorder in their lifetime, emphasising the importance of the accurate diagnosis of catatonia. This paper reports a case of catatonia presenting with dysphagia in a 48 year old profoundly deaf-mute woman with bipolar disorder. The report highlights some modifications of presentation and difficulties of accurate diagnosis and management of catatonia in this patient. She responded poorly to diazepam and was eventually prescribed emergency electroconvulsive therapy with some success. Arrival at a diagnosis required interdisciplinary collaboration among a wide range of professionals. This is believed to be the first case report of catatonia in someone who is profoundly deaf-mute.