Systematic Review of Symptoms of Catatonia in Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Syeda Hasan, Irshad Hussain, Laura Chadwick et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review examined how catatonia presents in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), analysing 45 peer-reviewed studies published in English from 1980 onward. A qualitative framework analysis identified six symptom clusters: psychomotor changes, speech disturbances, behavioral or functional changes, mental health symptoms, physiological symptoms, and disturbances in arousal or awareness. The review also found reported features not included in ICD-11 catatonia criteria, including tics, motor compliance, incoherent speech, self-injury, impaired cognition, and appetite changes. The authors suggest that the presentation may be broader than current diagnostic frameworks capture.
Key findings
- Analysis of 45 studies identified six symptom clusters associated with catatonia in ASD, spanning motor, speech, behavioral, mental health, physiological, and arousal or awareness features.
- Reported features outside ICD-11 criteria included tics, motor compliance, incoherent speech, self-injury, impaired cognition, and appetite changes.
Why it matters
Overlapping features of ASD and catatonia can make recognition difficult. Awareness that reported presentations include behavioral, functional, physiological, and cognitive changes beyond established criteria may help clinicians consider catatonia more fully when assessing people with ASD. The review highlights potential gaps between observed symptoms and current diagnostic frameworks, while not establishing the diagnostic value of any individual feature.
What to keep in mind
The review used qualitative analysis of published studies; the abstract does not report pooled prevalence or quantitative estimates of diagnostic accuracy.