Case study suggests new therapy for autism
In recent years autism has been the focus of much attention. Parents worry about identifying the disorder in their children at a young age.
Scientists puzzle over the combination of biological and environmental factors that lead to autism, as well as how best to treat this enigmatic condition.
A new case report suggests an intriguing new approach for correcting some of the most severe behavioral problems associated with autism.
Autism is a developmental disorder that is characterized by deficits in language, social and behavioral skills. Autism represents a broad spectrum of disorders that range from mild to severe. A particularly severe symptom includes self-injury, or the act of hitting oneself so that it leads to tissue damage.
Many symptoms of autism are treated through medications or behavioral approaches. Both approaches often work well for individuals and have even proven effective in preventing self-injury.
Lee Wachtel of the Kennedy Krieger Institute presented a case report of an eight-year-old autistic boy with severe self-injury behaviors that were not responsive to treatment in a recent journal article.
Wachtel collaborated with colleagues at Hopkins Hospital and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and they proposed the controversial treatment of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in this case.
They report that this boy, known as D., maintained self-injurious behaviors despite many different medical and behavioral interventions. This boy often was restrained with padded equipment to prevent serious injury from occurring. However, he still attempted to make hitting movements while restrained.
When observed without restraints over a 24-hour period, D. was reported to have hit himself in the head an average of 109 times per hour. Because of the high frequency of self-injury incidents, D. was unable to participate in structured school programs or family activities.
D.'s physicians felt that this damaging behavior might be ameliorated through ECT. ECT maintains a link with the shock therapy of early psychiatry, which was used on patients with a variety of mental illnesses.
Scientists puzzle over the combination of biological and environmental factors that lead to autism, as well as how best to treat this enigmatic condition.
A new case report suggests an intriguing new approach for correcting some of the most severe behavioral problems associated with autism.
Autism is a developmental disorder that is characterized by deficits in language, social and behavioral skills. Autism represents a broad spectrum of disorders that range from mild to severe. A particularly severe symptom includes self-injury, or the act of hitting oneself so that it leads to tissue damage.
Many symptoms of autism are treated through medications or behavioral approaches. Both approaches often work well for individuals and have even proven effective in preventing self-injury.
Lee Wachtel of the Kennedy Krieger Institute presented a case report of an eight-year-old autistic boy with severe self-injury behaviors that were not responsive to treatment in a recent journal article.
Wachtel collaborated with colleagues at Hopkins Hospital and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and they proposed the controversial treatment of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in this case.
They report that this boy, known as D., maintained self-injurious behaviors despite many different medical and behavioral interventions. This boy often was restrained with padded equipment to prevent serious injury from occurring. However, he still attempted to make hitting movements while restrained.
When observed without restraints over a 24-hour period, D. was reported to have hit himself in the head an average of 109 times per hour. Because of the high frequency of self-injury incidents, D. was unable to participate in structured school programs or family activities.
D.'s physicians felt that this damaging behavior might be ameliorated through ECT. ECT maintains a link with the shock therapy of early psychiatry, which was used on patients with a variety of mental illnesses.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 22
RimlandFanWA
posted 2/28/09 @ 1:55 AM EST
I am appalled that this would be considered PROGRESS by John Hopkins staff. Did anyone at Hopkins ever read a paper on gut disorders in autism? Any lightbulbs on? Please refer to the Krigsman or Wakefield presentations at the site ThoughtfulHouse. (Continued…)
Cynthia Janak
posted 2/28/09 @ 10:37 AM EST
Are these people barbaric or what? ECT theraphy should be banned. I want these doctors to think of what could be the real reason this non-speaking Autistic child might be hitting his head. (Continued…)
Billie Vernon
posted 2/28/09 @ 10:48 AM EST
Did anyone ever consider this child might be communicating pain or that he needed the sensory input the head banging provided? I worked with a young man who head banged at least as often if not more than D. (Continued…)
Lucy McGrath
posted 2/28/09 @ 3:11 PM EST
Is this truly a Johns Hopkins publication? This is absurd to publish as progress in the treatment of self injurious behavior. It would make more sense to determine why a child might be in so much pain that they continuously bang or hit their head than to resort to ECT. (Continued…)
Cynthia Janak
posted 2/28/09 @ 4:05 PM EST
This issue has been bothering me since my first post this morning. If this is the way John Hopkins is going to look at treatment options I will not believe any treatment from here is of any worth. (Continued…)
Wayne
posted 2/28/09 @ 5:00 PM EST
Deanna, maybe these scientists shoud go to the website of the John Hopkins neuroimmunopathology lab where it states that the underlying medical condition of autistic children is neuroinflammatory disease. (Continued…)
rich winkel
posted 3/02/09 @ 11:23 PM EST
It's no secret at all how shock works. Any neurologist will tell you that it works via brain damage: the short-term "theraputic effects" are identical to the symptoms of closed-head injury, as are the long-term cognitive and memory dysfunction. (Continued…)
Jo
posted 3/03/09 @ 3:57 PM EST
This is just plain criminal!
Janet R.N., M.Ed.
posted 3/04/09 @ 3:24 PM EST
Further proof that our medical system is serious shape! Physicians this days don't seem to be able to offer our kids anything but vaccines, psychotropic drugs, psychotropic drugs to mask the side effects of the initial drugs, and now ECT! What a bunch of idiots with NO critical thinking skills! I think it is time to insist that any MD who prescribes ECT take a course of it himself or herself first! If it is safe and effective, there really shouldn't be any harm, should there? Children with autism are already neurologically injured and really can't afford to lose any more brain cells. (Continued…)
Aliza
posted 3/05/09 @ 7:57 AM EST
Ever hear of rTMS? This is a standard treatment for severe depression and other neuropsychiatric disorders in Canada. I can't believe that it is barely squeaking through the FDA machine here and ECT has long been a legal "therapeutic" treatment for decades. (Continued…)
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