Catalepsy

Catalepsy is a neurological condition. The body is fixed, with rigid muscles and fixed posture. The body position does not respond to stimuli, and there is lowered sensitivity to pain.

Causes

Neurological

Catalepsy is a symptom of certain nervous disorders or conditions such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. It is also a characteristic symptom of cocaine withdrawal. It may be caused by schizophrenia treatment with anti-psychotics such as haloperidol. It may be caused by the anaesthetic ketamine.

External

In some cases, catalepsy may be started by  an extreme emotional shock – one well known example of this was the reaction of 1968 Olympic long jump medalist Bob Beamon on finding he had broken the previous world record by over 0.5 meters (2 feet).Great Olympic Moments - Sir Steve Redgrave, 2011 Protein kinase A has been suggested as a mediator of cataleptic behavior.

References

Category:Symptoms
Category:Disorders