Abstract
Multiple reports show the efficacious usage of ECT for catatonia in individuals with autism. There are also a few reports showing that ECT improves self-injury in people with and without autism. In this hypothesis, self-injury in autism and other developmental disorders may be an alternate sign of catatonia, and as such an indication for electroconvulsive therapy. The issue is important because self-injury occurs at an increased rate in autistic and intellectually disabled individuals, but is poorly understood and often difficult to treat with psychological and pharmacological means. Self-injury may be considered a type of stereotypy, a classic symptom of catatonia that is exquisitely responsive to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Historical and modern reports further support the association of self-injury, tics and catatonia. Central gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) dysfunction may provide an important explanatory link between autism, catatonia and self-injury. Therefore, people with autism and other developmental disorders who develop severe self-injury (with or without concomitant tics) should be assessed for catatonia, and ECT should be considered as a treatment option. Further studies of the utility of ECT as an accepted treatment for catatonia are warranted in the study of self-injury in autism.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 111-114 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Medical Hypotheses |
| Volume | 75 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jul 2010 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
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Self-injury in autism as an alternate sign of catatonia : Implications for electroconvulsive therapy. / Wachtel, Lee Elizabeth; Dhossche, Dirk M.
In: Medical Hypotheses, Vol. 75, No. 1, 07.2010, p. 111-114.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Self-injury in autism as an alternate sign of catatonia
T2 - Implications for electroconvulsive therapy
AU - Wachtel, Lee Elizabeth
AU - Dhossche, Dirk M.
PY - 2010/7
Y1 - 2010/7
N2 - Multiple reports show the efficacious usage of ECT for catatonia in individuals with autism. There are also a few reports showing that ECT improves self-injury in people with and without autism. In this hypothesis, self-injury in autism and other developmental disorders may be an alternate sign of catatonia, and as such an indication for electroconvulsive therapy. The issue is important because self-injury occurs at an increased rate in autistic and intellectually disabled individuals, but is poorly understood and often difficult to treat with psychological and pharmacological means. Self-injury may be considered a type of stereotypy, a classic symptom of catatonia that is exquisitely responsive to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Historical and modern reports further support the association of self-injury, tics and catatonia. Central gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) dysfunction may provide an important explanatory link between autism, catatonia and self-injury. Therefore, people with autism and other developmental disorders who develop severe self-injury (with or without concomitant tics) should be assessed for catatonia, and ECT should be considered as a treatment option. Further studies of the utility of ECT as an accepted treatment for catatonia are warranted in the study of self-injury in autism.
AB - Multiple reports show the efficacious usage of ECT for catatonia in individuals with autism. There are also a few reports showing that ECT improves self-injury in people with and without autism. In this hypothesis, self-injury in autism and other developmental disorders may be an alternate sign of catatonia, and as such an indication for electroconvulsive therapy. The issue is important because self-injury occurs at an increased rate in autistic and intellectually disabled individuals, but is poorly understood and often difficult to treat with psychological and pharmacological means. Self-injury may be considered a type of stereotypy, a classic symptom of catatonia that is exquisitely responsive to electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). Historical and modern reports further support the association of self-injury, tics and catatonia. Central gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) dysfunction may provide an important explanatory link between autism, catatonia and self-injury. Therefore, people with autism and other developmental disorders who develop severe self-injury (with or without concomitant tics) should be assessed for catatonia, and ECT should be considered as a treatment option. Further studies of the utility of ECT as an accepted treatment for catatonia are warranted in the study of self-injury in autism.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.mehy.2010.02.001
DO - 10.1016/j.mehy.2010.02.001
M3 - Article
VL - 75
SP - 111
EP - 114
JO - Medical Hypotheses
JF - Medical Hypotheses
SN - 0306-9877
IS - 1
ER -