Catatonia-like Deterioration in ASD adults. Regresseion?!

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A while ago, searching the Interwebs for symptoms that would describe my problems, I came across catatonia, which at first doesn't make any kind of sense because I'm sitting at a computer, typing stuff and reading them, which I couldn't do if I was catatonic. But then I came across this, which is quite interesting.

There is apparently this “phenomenon” called “Catatonia-like Deterioration” which occurs in 17% of adolescents and adults with ASD's. That also includes people with Asperger's. Very much so if my memory is not playing games on me.

The symptoms are the following:

-Marked slowness of movements
-Stereotyped movements of body, limbs
-Turning in circles
-Rocking foot to foot
-Bizarre gait
-Walking without arm swinging
-Empty copying of movements (echopraxia)
-Inability to cross thresholds – going back and forth without crossing
-Repetitive attempts to carry out an action
-Inability to stop an action once started
-Facial grimace
-Fixed expression
-Fixed empty smile
-Fixed gaze
-Mouth and tongue movements
-Head bent forward
-Arms bent at elbows and wrists
-Odd finger and hand postures
-Freezing in postures in the course of an activity
-Echolalia
-Screaming
-Swearing
-Odd repetitive noises
-Jerky speech
-Lack of modulation of tone
-Lack of modulation of volume
-Stereotyped answers to questions
-Overeactivity
-Destructiveness
-Self-injury
-Violent acts
-Sudden bizarre acts
-Stripping off clothes
-Hypermettamorhposis

I belive this phenomenon is a sort of regression in adulthood. And the possibility of regression in adulthood is a rather interesting concept to me and i thought i have to share it with you and let you know. It also explains my situation very well (why I did “kindaaaaaa” well till 21 and went apesh** after that.)

Cheers.
Omid

P.s: to find more on this subject just google “Catatonia-like Deterioration”. You don't even need to add autism to it.

Why not just call it catatonia?

It is called autistic catatonia at times.


For example:

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/176/4/357.full

I guess that makes sense, because obviously the fact you have autism will influence diagnosis.

But still. My question stands. Why call it regression instead of catatonia?

What causes this?

From what I have read, the cause of this regression or catatonia might be some of the anti-anxiety or anti-aggression drug cocktails that have been prescribed. There is quite a bit of research on this at the Mayo Clinic which is one of the few places which treats this.

Why not just call it autism? It seems like everything I've ever done all time.

It could be because catatonia has historically seen only as an aspect of schizophrenia. (All previous editions of the DSM classify it as a sub-type of schizophrenia.) I gather that if you say, "catatonia" to most practicing doctors today they'll instant think, "schizophrenia." The new view is that catatonia is like a fever, meaning that it can have many different causes (i.e. withdrawal from clonidine, benzos, cocaine or a side effect of antipsychotics), not just schizophrenia, but it's still a new idea.

But also, since no one knows the mechanism (there's no test, just checklists) behind either catatonia or regression/"catatonia-like deterioration" there's no way to know if they are truly the same thing.

because 90% of symptoms above won't happen in catatonic schizophrenia, which is the other main reason for catatonia and the number of people becoming catatonic for reasons other than that is quite small.
catatonic schizophrenia looks like this: person won't move AT ALL, burst into tantrums and scream, maybe destroy the room, and go on not moving at all. And afaik thats all about it. most people with real (read schizophrenic) catatonia so sick they can't even display the symptoms I listed above.

Oh, okay. Gotcha. Autistic catatonia it is.

omid, that succinctly describes what my son went through a couple of years ago. we're still working through it, although he's come through the deepest stages. please give a link to the exact article or articles you've read which are most informative?
we've been trying to get a diagnosis for him since he first showed symptoms as you listed. nobody in the region where i live is qualified to make a neurological diagnosis, but we've got him set up for an assessment with a neuropsychologist out of town. it will be next month.

I would say that autistic catatonia is pretty real.

It's probably a neurological issue, kind of like Parkison's Disease. A lot of these symptoms can also occur in that condition as well.

I have most of the symptoms listed above. There are times where its more typical schizophrenic catatonia which I don't move for long periods of times. Other times its more of a trance where I move very slowly and unaware of my surroundings. I do the repetitive movements all the time. I do about 70% of the symptoms of it. I didn't know that 17% of adult autistics experience this. Most of the time its more like autistic catatonia rather than the schizophrenic catatonia. I have done both though.

Not to push through an old thread, but this has been happening to me and my therapist is trying to work through it.
His theory is that it can be brought on by stress.

So today it started happening and before I "froze" I called him and he had me divert my attention...so I sat down and started drawing (although I'm in the process of "freezing" so drawing is taking a looooooonnnng time). I gradually came out of it.
It took a while for me to speed back up again.

Last night though, I froze for I don't know how long, alone, with no help. Couldn't move, barely breathe, or swallow.

The minutes leading up to my freezing included a lot of the symptoms the OP had in the post.

I actually developed something like that after the age of 20 because of a nervous breakdown from working at a Wal-Mart and being treated like crap (from both customers and management). I did get over it after a year, but it returned while I was living in a group home because of the mental, emotional, and physical abuse I suffered while I was there.
My problem was set off because of being in situations that are extremely stressful, which caused severe depression, anxiety, and loss of self-worth and self-esteem. I even had it so bad that I would wet and soil myself, both in the day and at night in my bed. I am doing much better, now that I had left the group residence and living on my own. Plus, going back to school and receiving my Associate's degree last year also helped because I took control of my life and living it the way I want to.
Even though I may have some of these symptoms, but it is more caused by the fact that I was suffering with Fibromyalgia and colitis, which causes me severe fatigue, bowel and bladder issues, severe pain to where I need heavy pain meds just to function, and a host of other issues.