Case Reports: Clozapine for the Treatment of Catatonia in Autism Spectrum Disorder

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders Vol. 52; no. 6; pp. 2855 - 2858
• Main Authors: Thom, Robyn P., McDougle, Christopher J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01-06-2022; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Autism; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Case reports; Case studies; Catatonia; Child and School Psychology; Clozapine; Complications and side effects; Dosage and administration; Drug Therapy; Efficacy; Human Body; Intervention; Letter to the Editor; Mental Disorders; Mutism; Neurosciences; Pediatrics; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Psychology; Public Health; Risk factors; United States; Catatonia; Autism spectrum disorder; Clozapine
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05149-8

Catatonia is a severe clinical syndrome which has been increasingly reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The prevalence of catatonia in ASD is unknown. Diagnosing catatonia in ASD is complicated by overlapping clinical features such as mutism, stereotypies, and echophenomena. Here, we present the clinical histories of two individuals with ASD and catatonia who were successfully treated with clozapine. We have reported on a novel potential treatment option for catatonia in ASD. Additional studies are needed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and tolerability of clozapine for the treatment of catatonia in ASD.