The Catatonia Quick Screen (CQS): A Rapid Screening Tool for Catatonia in Adult and Pediatric Populations

Introduction

Catatonia is a potentially lethal and frequently underdiagnosed neuropsychiatric disorder marked by significant disturbances in motor, cognitive, and affective functioning. To enhance clinical detection of catatonia, this study aimed to develop and independently validate a rapid, sensitive Catatonia Quick Screen (CQS) using a reduced set of catatonic signs to facilitate screening in both adult and pediatric patients.

Methods

Training data were derived from two retrospective cohorts totaling 446 patients (254 adults, 192 children) who screened positive for catatonia using the Bush Francis Catatonia Screening Instrument (BFCSI). The sensitivity of every potential combination of BFCSI signs was calculated from these data, with sensitivity defined as the proportion of patients identified by each combination of signs relative to the full BFCSI. The CQS was developed by selecting the combination of signs from the BFCSI that offered high sensitivity, ease of assessment by non-expert providers, and relevance to diverse catatonia presentations. The CQS was then validated in an independent 1456 patient cohort.

Results

Using only four of the full BFCSI's 14 signs—excitement, mutism, staring, and posturing—yielded a sensitivity of 97% (95% CI: 95%–98%) relative to the BFCSI across both pediatric and adult patients within the training data. The CQS showed only a modest decrease in sensitivity (91%; 95% CI: 90%–93%) relative to the BFCSI when tested on the independent 1456 patient validation cohort.

Conclusion

The CQS provides an independently validated, high sensitivity, rapid, and easy to use screening alternative to the BFCSI, potentially improving early detection of catatonia in clinical settings. A positive CQS should lead to a more detailed and definitive assessment for catatonia. Future prospective studies are necessary to determine the specificity of the CQS in diverse clinical populations.