Catatonia is a well-defined motor syndrome. Its prevalence has been found between 9.5 and 13.6% in various emergency psychiatric units.

A prospective evaluation was conducted for every patient admitted in the psychiatric emergency facility of the police authority in Paris (Infirmerie Psychiatrique près la Préfecture de Police) during 30 days. Catatonic symptoms were collected, as well as other clinical variables, by using a check-list adapted from DSM-IV criteria.

Catatonic and non catatonic patients were compared using khi2 for categorical variables and ANOVA for continuous variables. Variables which were statistically different between the two groups were entered in a step-wise logistic regression model (level of entry: .05).

The number of patients included was 229. A full catatonic syndrome (i.e. at least two prominent catatonic symptoms lasting for at least 24 hours) was found in 30 patients (13.1%). Main diagnoses in these patients were: schizophrenic disorders (24), bipolar disorders (4) and acute alcohol/street drugs intoxications (2). Ten out of 30 catatonic patients were not meeting anymore the diagnostic criteria for a catatonic syndrome at the end of the 24-48 hours observation and treatment time. Clinical characteristics of patients who were catatonic at entry, and those of patients who remained catatonic at the end of their admission are described and discussed.

Catatonia was frequent (13.1%), and 8.7% of the sample still presented a catatonic syndrome at the end of 24-48 hours of treatment.