[Catatonia in the elderly].

Catatonia is a syndrome characterized by mutism, stupor, immobility, negativism, posturing, stereotypy, and echophenomena. Not only patients with schizophrenia, but also patients with general medical disease, mood disorder, and substance-related disorder exhibit catatonia. In the patients with catatonia, it is recommended to examine whether they have a general medical disease. We present two catatonic elder patients. Case 1 exhibited catatonia with vascular dementia, and was revealed to have anti-phospholipid antibody syndrome. Case 2 exhibited catatonia with dementia with Lewy bodies, and was revealed to have Hashimoto's encephalopathy. The first recommended treatment for catatonia is benzodiazepines. In case of benzodiazepine resistance or malignant catatonia, it should be considered electroconvulsive therapy, but it needs to be carefully implemented for elder patients.