Teaches the reader how to identify and treat catatonia successfully, and describes its neurobiology.

What are the real disease entities in psychiatry? This is a question that has bedeviled the study of the mind for more than a century yet it is low on the research agenda of psychiatry. Basic science issues such as neuroimaging, neurochemistry, and genetics carry the day instead. There is nothing wrong with basic science research, but before studying the role of brain circuits or cerebral chemistry, shouldn't we be able to specify how the various diseases present clinically? Catatonia is a human behavioral syndrome that for almost a century was buried in the poorly designated psychiatric concept of schizophrenia. Its symptoms are well-know, and some of them are serious. Catatonic patients may die as their temperatures accelerate; they become dehydrated because they refuse to drink; they risk inanition because they refuse to eat or move. Autistic children with catatonia may hit themselves repeatedly in the head. We don't really know what catatonia is, in the sense that we know what pneumonia is. But we can identify it, and it is eminently treatable. Clinicians can make these patients better on a reliable basis. There are few other disease entities in psychiatry of which this is true. So why has there been so little psychiatric interest in catatonia? Why is it simply not on the radar of most clinicians? Catatonia actually occurs in a number of other medical illnesses as well, but it is certainly not on the radar of most internists or emergency physicians. In The Madness of Fear, Drs. Shorter and Fink seek to understand why this "vast field of ignorance" exists. In the history of catatonia, they see a remarkable story about how medicine flounders, and then seems to find its way. And it may help doctors, and the public, to recognize catatonia as one of the core illnesses in psychiatry.

During the 20th century, catatonia all but dropped off the agenda of mainstream psychiatric research. However, several dedicated research groups, represented in this volume, continued to report original data highlighting catatonia as a relevant and ideal subject for clinical study. This book, which exemplifies the unparalleled breadth of the knowledge gained, will benefit clinicians managing catatonic phenomena as well as researchers interested in pursuing further investigations. This book covers in great detail the psychopathology and neurobiology of catatonia, focusing on the history, epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and treatment of the disorder. This comprehensive volume Offers a wide representation of the historical and worldwide literature on the many variants of catatonia in a single, well-organized text. Includes work presented by the original investigators, many of whom work outside the United States and have had their previous studies published only in non-English journals. Covers alternative opinions and perspectives on catatonia, contributing novel and illuminating perspectives on the syndrome. Addresses areas of controversy -- including disagreements over treatment and the nosologic status of catatonia -- head-on, in a balanced, evidence-based presentation. Balances practical clinical material with the underlying neurobiology, presenting clinical aspects in the context of history, epidemiology, cross-cultural perspectives, and neurobiological findings and highlighting the richness and intellectual attraction of the study of the disorder. Catatonia is unique in offering a diverse, international group of contributors and such a comprehensive, up-to-date review of the clinical and scientific literature, spanning the breadth of contemporary understanding about the nature, meaning, and importance of the syndrome.

This ground-breaking book provides the first detailed clinical analysis of the various manifestations of catatonia, shutdown and breakdown in autistic individuals, with a new assessment framework (ACE-S) and guidance on intervention and management strategies using a psycho-ecological approach. Based on Dr Amitta Shah's lifetime of clinical experience in Autism Spectrum Disorders, and her research in collaboration with Dr Lorna Wing, this much needed book will be a valuable resource for professionals, autistic individuals and their families and carers.

This volume provides an “on-the-go” guide to the most common behavioral emergencies a physician may encounter. Each chapter represents a disease state or symptom cluster and concisely summarizes the disease state, provides background, symptoms and signs, differential diagnoses, and immediate and long-term treatment options. All chapters conclude with a diagnosis or treatment algorithm or another easy-to-use visual tool. Chapters named after a specific disease state or symptom cluster, arranged alphabetically for use in the field. The text begins with chapters covering patient evaluation: getting a good history, suicide risk assessment, physical exam, and when and how to use studies. Written by experts in psychiatry and emergency medicine, this text is the first to consider both medical perspectives in a concise guide. Quick Guide to Psychiatric Emergencies is an excellent resource for psychiatrists, emergency medicine physicians, residents, nurses, and other medical professionals that handle behavioral emergencies on a regular basis.

Unique case-based guide to generating diagnostic possibilities based on the patients' symptoms. Invaluable for psychiatrists and neurologists.

Movement Disorder Emergencies: Diagnosis and Treatment provides a fresh and unique approach to what is already a high-profile subspecialty area in clinical neurology. The disorders covered in this volume are standard fare in the field but emphasize the urgencies and emergencies that can occur. One of the very attractive features of the field of movement disorders is that diagnosis is often based on unique visible and sometimes audible phenomenological symptoms and signs. Therefore, in this era of highly sophisticated laboratory and radiological diagnostic tools, the diagnosis of many movement disorders is still largely made in the clinic where pattern recognition is key. Crucial to astute clinical diagnosis is broad clinical experience. In short, you have to have seen one to recognize one! Patients with movement disorders nearly always present as outpatients but, as aptly recognized by Drs. Frucht and Fahn, this may include acute manifestations leading to emergency presentations, often in an emergency room setting, where they are very likely to be unrecognized and therefore poorly managed. The authors define an “emergency” movement disorder as one in which failure to promptly diagnose and treat may result in significant morbidity or mortality. However, they also stress the importance of certain “can’t miss” diagnoses such as Wilson’s disease, dopa-responsive dystonia, and Whipple’s disease in which delayed diagnosis in less emergent situations can lead to slowly evolving and often irreversible neurological damage with tragic consequences.

The study of catatonia in Autism Spectrum Disorders is a novel and controversial topic. Catatonia is a motor disorder characterized by stereotypy, rigidity, mutism, and posturing. These motor signs are also characteristic of autism. The interest in the relation between autism and catatonia stems from clinical observations that autistic and catatonic symptoms overlap, that some people with autism develop full-blown catatonia, and that anti-catatonic treatments bring relief in some of those patients. Catatonia in Autism Spectrum Disorders explores the question of if the two syndromes have a common pathophysiology. It also examines whether the successful treatment of catatonia be applied to patients with both autism and catatonia. The book concludes with blueprints for the assessment, treatment, and future study of catatonia in Autism Spectrum Disorders. These blueprints aim to increase early recognition and treatment of catatonia in patients with autism, show the urgency of controlled treatment trials and increased collaborative and interdisciplinary research into the co-occurrence of these two enigmatic disorders. - Provides a historical perspective of the concepts of catatonia and autism, as described by old European masters like Bleuler and Kalhbaum - Presents clinical-epidemiological studies that apply systematic criteria of catatonia in populations with Autism Spectrum Disorders - Includes a review of the importance of psychomotor function for normal and abnormal development

In How Everyone Became Depressed, Edward Shorter, a distinguished professor of psychiatry and the history of medicine argues for a return to the old fashioned concept of nervous illness.

The field of phenomenological psychopathology (PP) is concerned with exploring and describing the individual experience of those suffering from mental disorders. Whilst there is often an understandable emphasis within psychiatry on diagnosis and treatment, the subjective experience of the individual is frequently overlooked. Yet a patient's own account of how their illness affects their thoughts, values, consciousness, and sense of self, can provide important insights into their condition - insights that can complement the more empirical findings from studies of brain function or behaviour. The Oxford Handbook of Phenomenological Psychopathology is the first ever comprehensive review of the field. It considers the history of PP, its methodology, key concepts, and includes a section exploring individual experiences within schizophrenia, depression, borderline personality disorder, OCD, and phobia. In addition it includes chapters on some of the leading figures throughout the history of this field. Bringing together chapters from a global team of leading academics, researchers and practitioners, the book will be valuable for those within the fields of psychiatry, clinical psychology, and philosophy.