Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale Assessment Resources
Dr. Wortzel and Dr. Oldham have developed the following educational resources on how to assess for catatonia using the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale (BFCRS) in collaboration with Dr. Francis.
Overview of Catatonia
Assessment Resources
Dr. Oldham and Dr. Wortzel provide a brief introduction to the assessment resources available on this webpage.
Standardized Patient Training Videos
In the first of the four training videos below, we illustrate a full clinical assessment for the BFCRS in a standardized patient without catatonia. The subsequent three videos depict assessments of a standardized patient portraying catatonia's three common motoric subtypes. For each video, we provide a completed BFCRS form for how we score these assessments, along with key points for reference.
Normal Exam
This video features a standardized patient without catatonia to illustrate how to assess for all items on the BFCRS.
Clinical Assessment for the BFCRS:
Blank BFCRS form for scoring
Examples of Catatonia
Test materials
Below are videos of test patients A & B and corresponding forms A & B of a multiple-choice test, each with an answer key. You can also access the full 1-hour education course as it was originally presented, with pre-, post-, and 3-month assessments.
Additional Resources
Catatonia Information Center
Directed by Dr. Andrew Francis
University College London
Directed by Drs. Jonathan Rogers and Anthony David
References
Wortzel JR, Maeng DD, Francis A, Oldham MA. Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Educational Module for the Bush-Francis Catatonia Rating Scale. Acad Psychiatry. 2022;Jan 7 (online):10.1007/s40596-021-01582-0.
Wortzel JR, Maeng DD, Francis A, Oldham MA. Prevalent gaps in understanding the features of catatonia among psychiatrists, psychiatry trainees, and medical students. J Clin Psychiatry. 2021;82(5):21m14025.
Bush G, Fink M, Petrides G, Dowling F, Francis A. Catatonia. II. Treatment with lorazepam and electroconvulsive therapy. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1996; 93(2):137-143.
Bush G, Fink M, Petrides G, Dowling F, Francis A. Catatonia. I. Rating scale and standardized examination. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1996;93(2):129-136.
Contact Us
Joshua Wortzel, MD, MPhil
Resident Physician in Psychiatry, PGY-4
Email
Mark Oldham, MD
Assistant Professor of Psychiatry
University of Rochester, Department of Psychiatry
Email