Safe Use of Memantine in a Pediatric Patient With Catatonia

• Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Vol. 61; no. 12; pp. 1401 - 1403
• Main Authors: Chaffkin, Jessica, Josephs, Isabel A., Katz, Emily R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-12-2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Adolescent; Amantadine; Amantadine - adverse effects; Antagonists; Benzodiazepines; Benzodiazepines - adverse effects; Case reports; Catatonia; Catatonia - diagnosis; Catatonia - drug therapy; Drug therapy; Electroconvulsive therapy; Electroconvulsive Therapy - adverse effects; Extracurricular activities; Family (Sociological Unit); Glutamic acid receptors (ionotropic); Humans; Memantine; Memantine - adverse effects; Metabolism; N-Methyl-D-aspartic acid receptors; Patients; Pediatrics; Pharmacology; Psychiatry; Rating Scales
• ISSN: 0890-8567; 1527-5418
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.05.007

Pediatric catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome. Benzodiazepines are standard first-line pharmacotherapy. When benzodiazepines do not provide relief of symptoms, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is the most proven effective therapy. However, the use of NMDA antagonists (amantadine and memantine) has been reported effective in adult patients as adjuncts and may provide an alternative treatment modality when ECT is not readily accessible. To the author’s knowledge there are no prior case reports of memantine used in pediatric catatonia. This case demonstrates the safe use of memantine as an adjunctive agent in an adolescent with catatonia.