Catatonia. 1: History and clinical features.

Catatonia is commonly encountered in psychiatric and medical practice but is under-recognized. It occurs in association with a wide range of disorders and drugs. Psychiatric education and textbooks mistakenly only consider catatonia as a subtype of schizophrenia. This article, the first of two, reviews the development of the concept of catatonia, its epidemiology, clinical features and pathophysiology.