# Hidden catatonia in treatment-resistant depression - URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0871 - Language: en - Last updated: not specified - Page title: Hidden catatonia in treatment-resistant depression | WCP 2026 Summary > In severe depression presumed to be treatment-resistant, psychomotor slowing may conceal a reversible catatonic syndrome that responds to lorazepam within hour… This page was translated automatically from Turkish. [Read the original](https://alisanburak.com/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0871) This page is an AI-assisted Turkish summary of the study presented at the 26th World Congress of Psychiatry. The study belongs to the presenting authors; please refer to the original source when citing it. EV0871 E-PosterMood and AnxietyCase Report # Hidden catatonia in treatment-resistant depression HIDDEN CATATONIA IN TREATMENT-RESISTANT DEPRESSION Presenter: Fábio Simões Country: Portugal Institution: ULS Estuário do Tejo In severe depression presumed to be treatment-resistant, psychomotor slowing may conceal a reversible catatonic syndrome that responds to lorazepam within hours. The aim of this case report is to demonstrate that mutism, withdrawal, and marked psychomotor slowing in severe depression may be misinterpreted as melancholic inhibition or treatment resistance. The method is a clinical case report based on longitudinal observation, detailed psychopathological examination, and a targeted literature review. A 46-year-old woman with recurrent major depressive disorder was referred following the failure of sequential antidepressant and augmentation strategies; over an eight-week period, she developed near-mutism, staring, immobility, reduced oral intake, and marked functional impairment. These symptoms were initially attributed to severe depressive psychomotor retardation, and her condition was considered treatment-resistant depression. Bedside examination identified negativism (resistance or lack of response to instructions or external stimuli), posturing (spontaneous maintenance of a posture against gravity), ambitendency (motor indecision characterized by alternating approach and withdrawal), and gegenhalten (resistance proportional to the force applied), none of which could be explained by depressive slowing. The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale supported a diagnosis of catatonia associated with a depressive episode. A lorazepam challenge produced rapid improvement within hours; speech returned, spontaneous movement increased, and interpersonal engagement improved. Continued benzodiazepine treatment and revision of the treatment plan resulted in substantial clinical remission. The authors emphasize that a positive lorazepam response supports the diagnosis and may predict response to benzodiazepines, but is not entirely specific on its own; therefore, catatonia should be systematically assessed before severe depression is labeled treatment-resistant. [View the original poster](https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/1472) How to cite this study APA 7: Simões, F. (2026, September 23-26). Hidden catatonia in treatment-resistant depression [E-poster]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026), Stockholm, Sweden. https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/1472 Vancouver: Simões F. Hidden catatonia in treatment-resistant depression [e-poster]. 26th WPA World Congress of Psychiatry (WCP 2026); 2026 Sep 23-26; Stockholm, Sweden. Available from: https://cslide.ctimeetingtech.com/wcp26/attendee/eposter/file/1472 Author names and title formatting were generated automatically from the congress system; please check them against the original poster before use. ## On the same topic - [Dikkat eksikliği hiperaktivite bozukluğu olan beliren yetişkinlerde biriktiricilik belirtileri ve davranışları](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0068) - [Tanı konmamış erişkin dikkat eksikliği/hiperaktivite bozukluğunun anksiyete ve depresif bozukluklar için sürdürücü etken olması: bir literatür derlemesi](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0069) - [DEHB, mükemmeliyetçilik ve öz şefkat: olumsuz duygulanıma giden yollar](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0083) - [Anksiyete ile ilişkili bozukluklarda kendi kendine yönlendirilen sanal gerçeklik terapisinin etkililiği: sistematik derleme ve meta-analiz](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0109) - [Birinci basamakta orta şiddette yaygın anksiyete bozukluğunda bilişsel davranışçı terapinin SSGİ ile karşılaştırılması: kontrollü klinik çalışma](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0110) [All WCP 2026 summaries](https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler) --- Kaynak / Source: https://alisanburak.com/en/wcp-2026-posterler/ev0871 İletişim / Contact: Bağdat Caddesi, Veli Güneysu Apt. No:453 K:4 D:9, Suadiye / Kadıköy, İstanbul · +90 532 642 95 25 · info@alisanburak.com · https://alisanburak.com/bagdat-caddesi-psikoterapi-iletisim