Skip to main content

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale 

The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale, has been widely recommended for its ease of use and reliability and validity. In this scale, the presence of two or more signs is suggestive of catatonia.

Is the most widely used instrument for catatonia. The Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale has twenty-three items, and there is also a shorter, 14-item screening version. The reliability and validity of the Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale has been established (Bush et al, 1996). The screening section marks items #1-14 as either “absent” or “present.” The full-scale rates items #1-23 on a scale of 0-3. The ratings are made based on the observed behaviours during the examination, except for completing the items for “withdrawal” and “autonomic abnormality,” which may be based upon either observed b behaviours/or chart documentation. Rate items only if well defined. If uncertain, rate the item as “0”.

Using the Bush–Francis Catatonia Rating Scale, 32% of 225 patients with chronic schizophrenia meet the criteria for catatonia. See Ungvari et al., 2005. 

It has two subscales

  1. A screening instrument with fourteen items that are marked as either present or absent.  

  2. The full severity scale with nine extra items scored zero to three.

Ungvari GS, Leung SK, Ng FS, Cheung HK, Leung T. Schizophrenia with prominent catatonic features ('catatonic schizophrenia'): I. Demographic and clinical correlates in the chronic phase. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2005;29(1):27-38. doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2004.08.007

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

ADVOKATE: A Mnemonic Tool for the Assessment of Eyewitness Evidence

ADVOKATE: A Mnemonic Tool for Assessment of Eyewitness Evidence A tool for assessing eyewitness  ADVOKATE is a tool designed to assess eyewitness evidence and how much it is reliable. It requires the user to respond to several statements/questions. Forensic psychologists, police or investigative officer can do it. The mnemonic ADVOKATE stands for: A = amount of time under observation (event and act) D = distance from suspect V = visibility (night-day, lighting) O = obstruction to the view of the witness K = known or seen before when and where (suspect) A = any special reason for remembering the subject T = time-lapse (how long has it been since witness saw suspect) E = error or material discrepancy between the description given first or any subsequent accounts by a witness.  Working with suspects (college.police.uk)

ICD-11 Criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 6A05

ICD-11 Criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) 6A05 Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is characterised by a persistent pattern (at least 6 months) of inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity that has a direct negative impact on academic, occupational, or social functioning. There is evidence of significant inattention and/or hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms prior to age 12, typically by early to mid-childhood, though some individuals may first come to clinical attention later. The degree of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity is outside the limits of normal variation expected for age and level of intellectual functioning. Inattention refers to significant difficulty in sustaining attention to tasks that do not provide a high level of stimulation or frequent rewards, distractibility and problems with organisation. Hyperactivity refers to excessive motor activity and difficulties with remaining still, most evident in structured situations that re...

ICD-11 Criteria for Depression (Recurrent Depressive Disorder) 6A71

ICD-11 Criteria for Depression (Recurrent Depressive Disorder) 6A71 Recurrent depressive disorder is characterised by a history or at least two depressive episodes separated by at least several months without significant mood disturbance. A depressive episode is characterised by a period of depressed mood or diminished interest in activities occurring most of the day, nearly every day during a period lasting at least two weeks accompanied by other symptoms such as difficulty concentrating, feelings of worthlessness or excessive or inappropriate guilt, hopelessness, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, changes in appetite or sleep, psychomotor agitation or retardation, and reduced energy or fatigue. There have never been any prior manic, hypomanic, or mixed episodes, which would indicate the presence of a Bipolar disorder. Inclusions:                Seasonal depressive disorder Exclusions:    ...