Serum iron in catatonic and noncatatonic psychotic patients

Background: Since low serum iron has been reported in a variety of neuropsychiatric motor disorders, this study was conducted to examine serum iron in patients with a catatonic disorder. Methods: Forty catatonic and 40 noncatatonic psychotic patients were studied in relation to serum iron levels. The association of serum iron with other clinical variables was also examined. Results: Catatonics had significantly lower mean serum iron than noncatatonics. Ferropenia (serum iron <50 μg/dL) was significantly more prevalent in the catatonic (35%) than in the noncatatonic (7.5%) group. Severity of catatonic symptoms was inversely correlated with level of serum iron, this being due to the negative catatonic symptoms (r = −.34, p = .002). Conclusions: A subgroup of catatonic patients had ferropenia. Lower serum iron level was associated with both the presence of a categorically defined catatonic syndrome and the severity of the negative catatonic symptoms.