Autism Therapy: electroconvulsive therapy

definition of electroconvulsive therapy: Medical procedure that uses carefully controlled electric shocks, which are delivered to the brain while the patient is sedated or anesthetized. Electroconvulsive therapy may be used to treat a variety of psychiatric conditions including autism.

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Acute and Maintenance Electroconvulsive Therapy for Treatment of Severely Disabling Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in a Patient with Asperger Syndrome
Journal of ECT, by Nilsson, BM, and Ekselius L., published in 2009, summarized Jul 15, 2010

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be helpful for people with autism who suffer from severe mental health issues that do not respond to other treatments.

Many people with autism also have other mental health issues such as bipolarity and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This case study describes the use of ECT to treat a 38 year old man with autism who suffered from prolonged and severe obsessive-compulsive symptoms as well as hypochondria. The man did not respond to drug therapy or cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). The patient’s health was restored after ECT.


Catatonia and Autism: A Historical Review, with Implications for Electroconvulsive Therapy
Journal of ECT, by Dhossche, DM, Reti IM, and Wachtel LE, published in 2009, summarized Oct 19, 2009

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.


ECT for Self-injury in an Autistic Boy
European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, by Wachtel, LE, Contrucci_Kuhn SA, Griffin M., Thompson A., Dhossche DM, and Reti IM, published in 2009, summarized Jul 15, 2009

Electroconvulsive therapy reduced severe self-injury behavior in a boy with autism, allowing him to attend school.

This case study reported electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for an 8-year-old boy with autism, mental retardation, mood swings, and extreme self-injury behavior. He was trying to hurt himself an average of 109 times per hour. Applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy and drug therapy did not work. He had to stay in the hospital. He wore arm restraints with metal strips to limit where his arms could reach. And he wore full-body protective padding so he wouldn’t hurt himself. He was treated with ECT 3 times per week for 5 weeks. ECT therapy is a medical procedure that uses a brief electric current to the brain in a closely-monitored medical setting under full anesthesia. Doctors also use neuromuscular blockade (temporary full relaxation of muscles) during the procedure. After 5 weeks of ECT, he no longer needed restraints and protective padding. This child was able to return home after 2 years in a hospital, attend school and learn for the first time, and also participate in meaningful family life. The authors said this was the first report of successful ECT for self-injury behavior. They recommended that doctors consider ECT when other therapies don’t work.


A Review of Recent Reports on Autism: 1000 Studies Published in 2007
Epilepsy & Behavior, by Hughes, JR, published in 2008, summarized Oct 28, 2008

Children with autism have medical and therapy costs that are $4,110-6,200 more than children without autism.

This article reviews the autism research studies that were published in 2007. The most common drug therapy is risperidone, which may lessen irritability, repetition, and social withdrawal. Other drugs used as autism therapy include atypical antipsychotics, antibiotics, and memantine. One study found that acupuncture helped over half of the children with autism who received treatment. The article also reviewed massage therapy, robots, electroconvulsive therapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), and music therapy.


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    • Synonyms for electroconvulsive therapy include: electric shock therapy, electric-shock therapy, electro-convulsive therapy
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