By
Dirk Dhossche, Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, USA
Description
The study of catatonia in Autism Spectrum Disorders is a novel and controversial topic. Catatonia is a motor disorder characterized by
stereotypy, rigidity, mutism, and posturing. These motor signs are also characteristic of autism. The interest in the relation between
autism and catatonia stems from clinical observations that autistic and catatonic symptoms overlap, that some people with autism develop
full-blown catatonia, and that anti-catatonic treatments bring relief in some of those patients.
This book explores the question of
if the two syndromes have a common pathophysiology. It also examines whether the successful treatment of catatonia be applied to patients
with both autism and catatonia. The book concludes with blueprints for the assessment, treatment, and future study of catatonia in Autism
Spectrum Disorders. These blueprints aim to increase early recognition and treatment of catatonia in patients with autism, show the urgency
of controlled treatment trials and increased collaborative and interdisciplinary research into the co-occurrence of these two enigmatic
disorders.
Included in series
International Review of Neurobiology
Audience:
Neurologists, neurosurgeons, and other neuroscientists who are dedicated to research into autism and catatonia.
