Catatonia is now accepted as a non-specific syndrome. Hysteria can very rarely be a cause. A case of hysterical catatonia developing twice in a year, and on both occasions responding to ECT, is presented. Initial diagnostic difficulties, and use of the sodium pentothal interview as a diagnostic test, are also described.

A patient with obsessive–compulsive neurosis arising six months after minor head injury is described. The theoretical implications of this case are discussed. A neuropsychological model to explain the onset of the disorder in this and previously reported cases is suggested.

A patient with spasms of the neck, occurring when he turned his head to the left, responded to treatment with benzhexol. Cerebral blood flow imaging demonstrated reduced uptake in the right corpus striatum compared with the left. The study demonstrates the presence of an abnormality in the basal ganglia; it also illustrates response to drug treatment. Cerebral blood flow imaging may be useful in the detection of basal ganglia abnormalities in spasmodic torticollis and assist in the selection of cases which should be targeted for treatment with drugs.

A 19-year-old woman, blind since birth, lost 26 kg over a 7-month period. This was achieved by restriction of food intake, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting. Although the visual experience is often believed to be an integral component of body-shape perception and the overvaluation of thinness in contemporary society, it does not preclude the development of anorexia nervosa.

Two cases of lithium-induced hypothyroidism, presenting as carpal tunnel syndrome, are reported. This is believed to be the first report of such an association.

The concurrent appearance of the koro syndrome and pathology of the central nervous system is quite rare. A case of a patient with a diagnosed tumour in the genu of the corpus callosum, who displayed typical koro symptoms, is presented. A short series of electroconvulsive shock treatments brought about resolution of the koro symptoms. Neurological investigation of all sporadic cases of koro is deemed necessary, to exclude cerebral involvement.