Modified electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant self-injurious behavior in autism spectrum disorder with severe intellectual disability: a case report - Takeaways - MDSpire

Modified electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant self-injurious behavior in autism spectrum disorder with severe intellectual disability: a case report

  • By

  • Ping Xu

  • Didi Ding

  • Xuehua Han

  • Junjun Liu

  • Hao Tang

  • June 17, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    A 24-year-old man with ASD and severe ID exhibited treatment-refractory self-injurious behavior (SIB) for 11 years.

  • 2

    Modified electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) completely resolved SIB after 12 sessions over 7 weeks, with no hand-biting episodes reported.

  • 3

    Secondary outcomes showed significant improvements in psychiatric and functional assessments, including reduced VRAS and BPRS scores.

  • 4

    Therapeutic gains were sustained and enhanced 30 days post-MECT, with continued improvement in behavioral and functional measures.

  • 5

    This case provides preliminary evidence that MECT may be effective for refractory SIB in patients with ASD and severe ID, warranting further studies.

Original Source(s)

Modified electroconvulsive therapy for treatment-resistant self-injurious behavior in autism spectrum disorder with severe intellectual disability: a case report

  • by Ping Xu, Didi Ding, Xuehua Han, Junjun Liu, Hao Tang

  • June 17, 2026

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