A catastrophic reaction is an uncommon reaction shown by a patient after an acute stroke.
The catastrophic reaction consists of an outburst from the patient when asked to perform a task. The outburst may involve:
(1) anger
(2) frustration
(3) anxiety
(4) aggression
(5) refusal to perform any language task or to receive treatment
(6) sobbing
Neurologic features of a catastrophic reaction (CR):
(1) The acute stroke involves the left hemisphere (left anterior subcortical region, left frontal operculum, superficial territory of the superior division of the middle cerebral artery).
(2) The patient has nonfluent aphasia.
(3) The reaction tends to improve after several days.
(4) The patient may develop a post-stroke depression.
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