A COMPARISON OF THE VISCOSITY OF MUSCLES IN CATATONIC AND PARKINSONIAN RIGIDITY

Abstract

Many observers have pointed out resemblances between catatonia and the residuals of epidemic encephalitis (Laignel-Lavastine and Logre,¹ Kahn,² Rogues de Fursac² and Dide, Guiraud and Lafage³). Bostroem,⁴ Schilder⁵ and others have contributed important evidence on the differences between these conditions. Pathologic studies of the brain in dementia praecox have frequently failed to disclose any differences from the normal brain. Consistent pathologic changes have not been demonstrated. Evidence of lesions in the basal ganglia was reported by Kleist,⁶ Steiner,⁷ Guiraud,⁸ Reiter,⁹ and Fränkel.¹⁰ Reports were also made of involvement of other parts of the brain (Josephy,¹¹ Steck¹²). The clinical differences between the rigidity in the two conditions have been pointed out by Bostroem,¹³ among others. Clinically, it appears to me that on passive movement of the rigid extremity of a catatonic patient an active resistance is encountered.