To determine the frequency and characteristics of catatonia in persons with dementia, all patients admitted to an old age psychiatry ward were screened for catatonia with the Bush-Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument (BFCSI) over a period of 6 months. Thirty-seven patients were admitted, and there were 14 patients with dementia. The rate of catatonia in these patients was 42.8% (6 out of 14). Five out of six of these patients received treatment for catatonia with lorazepam, all achieving complete remission. Catatonia occurred frequently in patients admitted with dementia.
Keywords: Geriatric psychiatry; catatonia; prevalence.