{
  "abstract": "Catatonia in adolescents presents a diagnostic challenge when autoimmune and psychiatric etiologies overlap. We describe a 16-year-old male with recurrent severe catatonia, complete mutism, and functional decline over four months. Despite a comprehensive negative autoimmune workup, inflammatory markers (elevated interleukin-2 receptor) and clinical features suggested seronegative autoimmune encephalitis. The patient required high-dose lorazepam (18 milligrams per day) and received empiric immunotherapy with intravenous immunoglobulin and corticosteroids, followed by enrollment in a specialized electroconvulsive therapy program. He demonstrated substantial improvement with the return of bilingual speech and social interaction. This case illustrates the importance of maintaining a broad differential diagnosis in adolescent catatonia and considering empiric immunotherapy when clinical suspicion for autoimmune etiology remains high despite negative antibody testing.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Pediatrics, John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Chicago, USA",
    "Pediatrics and Child Health, Rush University, Chicago, USA"
  ],
  "article_type": "case report",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Sandra Ohabuenyi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Charita Kunta"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Kingsley Udom"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Neha Bhagi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Delete Ebere-Bank"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5eqzkr4px6wh6.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.7759/cureus.117105",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13716875/?tool=EBI",
  "id": "5eqzkr4px6wh6",
  "issns": [
    "2168-8184"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13716875",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Pediatrics"
    ],
    [
      "heading",
      "Psychiatry"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2738|Electroconvulsive Therapy Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7214796216",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13716875/pdf/?tool=EBI",
  "pmcid": "PMC13716875",
  "pmid": "42959231",
  "published": "2026-09-28",
  "publisher": "Cureus Inc.",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5eqzkr4px6wh6.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T00:20:37Z",
      "native_id": "PMC:PMC13716875",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13716875"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T12:21:46Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42959231",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42959231"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-02T12:21:18Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13716875",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.117105"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "heading:Psychiatry",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "heading:Pediatrics",
      "subfield": "reproductive-child"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Diagnostic Challenge of Primary Psychiatric Catatonia Versus Seronegative Autoimmune Encephalitis in Pediatrics: A Case Report",
  "title_text": "Diagnostic Challenge of Primary Psychiatric Catatonia Versus Seronegative Autoimmune Encephalitis in Pediatrics: A Case Report",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-02T12:21:18Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/5eqzkr4px6wh6",
  "venue": "Cureus",
  "versions": []
}