Psychiatry RAISR4D

Reduction of CACNA1D-Associated Catatonia Symptoms in an Adolescent With Concurrent Severe Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Report

31/05/2026

AI Summary

ASD may predispose to catatonia; electroconvulsive therapy has demonstrated effectiveness in treating catatonia.
CACNA1 channelopathies associate with ASD, intellectual disability, and epilepsy; prior ECT report in a CACNA1 subunit showed a negative outcome.
Adolescent with CACNA1D mutation and excited catatonia experienced reduced frequency and severity of self-injurious and violent behaviour after ECT without complications.

J ECT. 2026 May 26. doi: 10.1097/YCT.0000000000001279. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be a predisposing factor in the development of catatonia, which has been demonstrated to be effectively treated using electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). CACNA1 channelopathy mutations have been associated with autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability, and epilepsy. The single published case report of ECT use in CACNA1 subunit mutations demonstrated a negative outcome, and no current case reports on CACNA1B, CACNA1C, CACNA1D, or CACNA1E mutations have been published. We present a case of an adolescent with a known CACNA1D mutation and symptoms of excited catatonia who experienced a reduction in the frequency and severity of self-injurious and violent behavior following treatment with ECT. Our case demonstrates the use of ECT for catatonia in an individual with a CACNA1 mutation without complication and with a positive therapeutic response.

PMID:42218824 | DOI:10.1097/YCT.0000000000001279

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