Research: Catatonia and Autism: A Historical Review, with Implications for Electroconvulsive Therapy

Some people with autism also have catatonia, and electroconvulsive therapy may be helpful in some of those cases.

Catatonia is a brain condition with symptoms where the person repeats words (his own or the words of others), repeats behaviors, and has a grimace look on his face. Catatonia symptoms are common in some people with autism. Catatonia can be severe for some people, resulting in loss of movement, reduced speech, or stupor. More mild symptoms of catatonia include freezing during actions, slow movement and/or speech. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) uses a mild electric shock that is given to specific places in the brain while the patient is under anesthesia (unconscious). The helpful effect of ECT comes from the seizures that are triggered in the brain by the electrical current. The electrical current happens to be the most reliable way to induce seizures in the brain. How seizures improve catatonia is unknown. The authors said that ECT therapy has been helpful for some people who have both autism and catatonia.