[Autism and catatonia - Clinical aspects].

This review looks at catatonia, a condition that affects movement and behavior, in autistic people. About 8-11% of autistic individuals may develop catatonia, but it's often missed because symptoms can look similar to autism traits. It can appear during teenage years or adulthood as a sudden worsening of autism symptoms. Treatment typically involves medications like benzodiazepines or electroconvulsive therapy, but more research is needed to understand why it happens and how to treat it better.

This clinical review examines the relationship between autism and catatonia, a neuropsychiatric syndrome characterized by abnormal motor, vocal, and behavioral symptoms. The authors report that approximately 8-11% of autistic individuals experience catatonia, though this may be underreported due to symptom overlap with autism characteristics and lack of clinical awareness. Catatonia can manifest as late autistic regression from puberty into adulthood. The review discusses how catatonia presents across various psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions, including autism, and notes that current treatment approaches involve benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy.

The neurobiological mechanisms underlying catatonia in autism remain unclear, highlighting the need for further research in this area.

Clinicians should maintain heightened awareness for catatonia in autistic individuals, particularly during adolescence and adulthood. Regular screening for motor and behavioral changes is important. Current treatment options include benzodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy, though autism-specific treatment protocols need development. More research is needed on underlying mechanisms and optimal interventions.

This is a narrative review without systematic methodology reported. No specific sample size or study selection criteria provided. The neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear, and treatment evidence appears limited to traditional approaches without autism-specific validation.

Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a qualitative alteration in social interaction and communication, associated with restricted interests and stereotyped behaviors. It can be associated with medical problems such as epilepsy, gastrointestinal dysfunction, sleep disorders, other neurodevelopmental disorders such as language impairment, intellectual disability, sensory dysfunction, ADH/D, motor clumsiness, and/or neuropsychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, catatonia, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorders, behavioral and impulsive disorders, among others. Catatonia is recognized as a neuropsychiatric syndrome identified in all major mood and psychotic disorders, due to general medical conditions or as a syndrome not otherwise specified; this allows catatonia to be coded in the context of other psychiatric or neurodevelopmental disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder or autism. It is characterized by abnormal motor, vocal, and behavioral symptoms, with impaired volition and vegetative function.

It is estimated that approximately 8-11% of autistic people suffer from catatonia. It is probable that there is an underreporting of catatonia, especially in people with autism, due to the lack of alertness about it, the clinical heterogeneity and the similarity of many of its symptoms with manifestations of autism. Many times it can even express itself as a late autistic regression from puberty to adult life. Its neurobiological bases are still not clear and the treatment is based on the administration of bensodiazepines and electroconvulsive therapy although there is still a long way to go to investigate these issues.