Baclofen and catatonia: a case report

Abstract

Baclofen was approved for medical use in the United States in 1977 by Food and Drug Administration. Serious adverse effects associated with this medication are uncommon at usually prescribed doses. Herein, we present a case of baclofen-induced catatonia in a young-adult female with back pain receiving oral baclofen. A 20-year-old female presented to the emergency department with possible seizure-like activity. It was reported that the patient was suffering from acute back pain and was prescribed baclofen three times a day by her general physician one day before her presentation. Upon further discussion, it was known that following an altercation with her family member, she had attempted suicide by consuming 200 mg of baclofen and then developed rapidly progressive symptoms of aphasia, mutism, and decreased oral intake. Laboratory tests, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and neuroimaging were unremarkable. Electroencephalogram was normal. Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale score was 27. She showed significant improvement following low-dose lorazepam administration. There are four reports in the literature of catatonia secondary to baclofen. The present report is the first to describe the occurrence of catatonia in a previously healthy individual. Analysis of these cases suggests a relationship between a history of psychotic symptoms and catatonia. All the reports were classified as probable by the Naranjo algorithm.