What is catatonic mutism?
What is catatonic mutism?
Catatonia is a psychomotor syndrome that has been reported to occur in more than 10% of patients with acute psychiatric illnesses. Two subtypes of the syndrome have been identified. Catatonia of the retarded type is characterized by immobility, mutism, staring, rigidity, and a host of other clinical signs.
What is autism related catatonia?
Autistic catatonia is a rare type of disorder that affects roughly 10 percent of all adults with autism spectrum disorder. Most are not severely affected but a few exhibit stupor and severe excitement, which is the most extreme form of the disorder.
How is catatonia treated in autism?
Pharmacological treatments for catatonia include benzodiazepines, specifically lorazepam; it is the first choice of pharmacological treatment. Zolpidem, a non-benzodiazepine, is used when there is a lack of response to lorazepam.
How can you tell if someone is catatonic?
Doctors can diagnose someone as catatonic if they have any three of these signs:
- Not responding to other people or their environment.
- Not speaking.
- Holding their body in an unusual position.
- Resisting people who try to adjust their body.
- Agitation.
- Repetitive, seemingly meaningless movement.
- Mimicking someone else’s speech.
How common is catatonia in autism?
Autism-related catatonia affects 4 – 17% of the autism population. The onset, which is often gradual, is between the ages of 10 and 19. There is a deterioration in functioning, freezing episodes and other mobility, movement and speech difficulties. There is also a shutdown phenomenon associated with it.
Does catatonia go away on its own?
Most patients respond well to catatonia treatment, with up to 80% achieving relief through benzodiazepines or barbiturates and the remainder showing improvement from ECT. However, some patients seem to be resistant to treatment, particularly ECT.
How is catatonia diagnosed in autism?
Specific indicators of an onset of catatonia type breakdown may include any of the following:
- increased slowness.
- freezing during actions.
- increase in repetitive movements and hesitations.
- difficulty in crossing thresholds and completing movements.
- marked reduction in speech or complete mutism.
What happens during catatonia?
Catatonia affects a person’s ability to move in a normal way. People with catatonia can experience a variety of symptoms. The most common symptom is stupor, which means that the person can’t move, speak, or respond to stimuli. However, some people with catatonia may exhibit excessive movement and agitated behavior.
How does catatonia affect someone with autism spectrum disorder?
The individual is at risk to lose a substantial amount of weight and experience dehydration due to decreased food and fluid intake. This severe presentation of catatonia-like deterioration in ASD necessitates hospitalization as the individual is at significant risk for serious medical morbidity and mortality (Shah & Wing, 2006).
Is there a cure for catatonia in ASD?
In addition to their “blueprint for assessment of catatonia in ASD”, Shah and Wing also developed a “blueprint for the treatment of catatonia in ASD” for all severity levels. Pharmacological treatments for catatonia include benzodiazepines, specifically lorazepam; it is the first choice of pharmacological treatment.
What happens to your body when you are in catatonia?
Autism-associated catatonia also produces changes in movement patterns. This can include an odd gait or stiff posture, a brief “freeze” during actions or difficulty coming to a stop. You might also notice a marked reduction in speech. In between slow periods, there can be bursts of hyperactivity. Some individuals develop incontinence.
What to do if your child has catatonia?
For severe cases, treatment options also include electroconvulsive therapy. It seems to act like a “brain reboot” that helps get the individual moving and eating again. I want to emphasize that catatonia is a serious condition that can become more severe – even life threatening. This risk increases the longer the condition is left untreated.