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Elective mutism: effect of dental treatment with N2/O2-inhalation sedation: review and report of case.

Elective mutism in children is characterized by a marked, emotionally determined selectivity in speaking, such that the child demonstrates his or her language competence in some situations but fails to speak in other situations. An eight-year-old boy with elective mutism had to undergo restorative dental treatment. It was chosen to use relative analgesia to perform this treatment. The sedation with oxygen and nitrous oxide resulted in complete symptom remission as long as the sedation lasted.

Anesthesia, Dental↗

[Akinetic mutism and progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome after the shunt of an obstructive hydrocephalus. Successful treatment with bromocriptine: 2 cases].

Two cases of obstructive hydrocephalus who suffered multiple shunt failures and shunt revisions are presented. The patients developed after the neurochirurgical treatment a clinical syndrome of akinetic mutism followed by a Progressive Supranuclear Palsy-like (PSP) syndrome. The akinetic mutism and the PSP-like syndrome were remarkably improved with bromocriptine.

Adult↗

Phenelzine treatment of elective mutism: a case report.

A 7-year-old girl with a 2-year history of elective mutism was successfully treated with phenelzine. The only side effects of treatment were mild constipation and weight gain. Talkativeness as a dopaminergic behavioral effect of phenelzine is described. On the basis of the case report and the literature, the authors raise nosologic questions concerning elective mutism and social phobia.

Child, Preschool↗

[A 70-year-old man with right hemiparesis and mutism].

We report a 70-year-old man who had a sudden onset of right hemiparesis and mutism. The lower extremity was more involved than the upper one. He had a long history of diabetes and chronic renal failure for which hemodialysis was necessary. On August 30, 1990, he had an sudden onset of right hemiparesis and mutism. Neurological examination revealed awake but mute in no acute distress. He could only respond to very simple commands such as opening his mouth or protruding his tongue. He did not appear to understand more difficult questions. In addition, he could not answer verbally. He was totally mute. Cranial nerves appeared intact except for slight right central facial paresis and severe diabetic retinopathy. He had complete paralysis of his right leg and a moderate weakness in his right upper extremity. Deep reflexes were diminished in both upper extremities and absent in the lower limbs. Frotal signs such as grasp and snout reflexes were present. Cranial CT scans revealed an ill-defined low density area in the left parasagittal subcortical area and a part of the anterior cerebral artery territory. The supplementary motor area appeared at least in part to be involved. He was treated with glycerol and other supportive cares, however, his clinical course was complicated by pneumonia, heart failure, septicemia, and he expired two months after his stroke. The patient was discussed in a neurological CPC, and the chief discussant arrived at a conclusion that he had an artery-to-artery embolism at the internal carotid bifurcation resulting in the cerebral infarction mainly in the territory of the anterior cerebral artery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged↗

[Akinetic mutism with right hemiplegia caused by infarction in the territory of the left anterior cerebral artery].

A 65 years old woman with chronic high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus presented with a mutism akinetic of sudden onset and a right total hemiplegia with a Babinski sign secondary to a left anterior cerebral artery infarction. She had had six months earlier a transient gait disturbance. At that time, the CT scan showed lacunar infarcts of the head of both caudate nuclei. Neuropathological examination revealed that the left infarction of the anterior cerebral artery involved the superior frontal gyrus, the supplementary motor area, the cingulate gyrus and the corpus callosum. There were also multiple lacunes of the head of both caudate nuclei, anterior limb of the internal capsules, white matter, basal ganglia and thalami. The mutism akinetic was thought to be the result of a bilateral disruption of a functional loop including on each side, the supplementary motor area, the cingulate gyrus, the subcallosal tract and the head of the caudate nucleus. On the right side, the lesion of the caudate nucleus could have interrupted this loop normally involved in the induction of voluntary movements and in the communication with the external surroundings.

Aged↗

[Transient mutism after resection of left frontal lobe astrocytoma in adult: case report].

We reported a case of a 32-year-old female who had a transient mutism after resection of a malignant astrocytoma in the left frontal lobe. Preoperatively magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed a cystic tumor in the left frontal lobe. The patient underwent surgery. She was alert but did not speak immediately after surgery. She could follow verbal commands, comprehend written language, and write letters. She had no cranial nerve or extremity paresis. Seven days postoperatively, she began to say simple words, and one month postoperatively she could talk normally. Postoperative MR imaging revealed a hypointensity area on T1 weighted image in the frontal lobe including a part of the anterior cingulate cortex and the anterior part of the corpus callosum. It appears that a dominant hemisphere lesion of both the anterior cingulate cortex and the corpus callosum may be responsible for the development of postoperative mutism.

Adult↗

[Postoperative pain relief for a patient with elective mutism by patient controlled analgesia].

We previously reported that intrathecal (i.t.) administration of morphine reduced postoperative pain in pediatric patients after spinal instrumentation for scoliosis (Cotrel-Dubousset method), and the i.t. administration of morphine before incision produced better pain relief than that given after the surgical procedure. In this study, we evaluated postoperative pain relief in a patient with elective mutism who had been given i.t. morphine 0.15 mg before surgery. The patient was scheduled to undergo patient controlled analgesia (PCA) intravenously with morphine after surgery. The grade of postoperative pain and incidence of side effects were assessed at 1, 2, 6, 12, 24, and 48 h after the operation. The pain was rated by means of a verbal numeric rating scale (0-3) and a visual analog scale (VAS) (0-100mm). The used morphine volume shown on a PCA device was evaluated at scheduled times. No patient developed hemodynamic instability or respiratory depression during the monitoring period. We conclude that PCA can be useful for the patient with elective mutism.

Adolescent↗

The Response to an Amobarbital Interview as a Predictor of Therapeutic Outcome in Patients with Catatonic Mutism.

Intravenous amobarbital temporarily relieves catatonic mutism. The older psychiatric literature reported that response to amobarbital is associated with eventual good therapeutic outcome, whereas nonresponse may indicate poor outcome. This study investigated the short-term outcome of 20 patients with catatonic mutism after an amobarbital interview. A blind review of the charts was conducted at the patients' discharge, and patients were rated as either having good or poor outcome. The patients who did not respond to amobarbital improved during hospitalization as often as those patients who did respond to amobarbital. We conclude that a negative amobarbital interview is an unreliable prognosticator of poor response in these patients.

Journal Article↗

[Characteristics of the dermatoglyphics of the hand in congenital deaf-mutism].

Differences in a number of dermatoglyphic signs in patients with endogenous forms of the disease were found when analysing dermatoglyphics among 535 patients with congenital deaf-mutism. These differences may be of certain significance for differentiation between exogenous and endogenous forms of deaf-mutism, that is of great importance for a medico-genetical consultation with respect to progeny prognosis.

Adolescent↗

Characterizing selective mutism: is it more than social anxiety?

Selective mutism (SM) occurs when a child persistently lacks speech in some social situations but not in others, despite the ability to use and comprehend language. While considered to be related to anxiety, SM is poorly understood and studies of SM children are often based on parent reports. This study developed a unique, non-verbally based assessment protocol for SM children in order to better characterize their clinical profile, language abilities, and learning abilities. A comparison was done with a group of children of similar age, with social phobia (SP) but no SM, to search for characteristics that might distinguish SM from other anxiety disorders. Twenty-three children participated in the study (14 SM and 9 SP). The assessment protocol included standardized anxiety rating scales, cognitive and academic tests, and a speech and language assessment. SM and SP groups showed similar levels of anxiety and academic ability, but the SM group showed some language impairments relative to the SP group. Though requiring replication with a larger sample and nonclinical comparison group, the results suggest that SM children can be assessed by non-verbal means and that their disorder is characterized by anxiety and subtle language impairments.

Adolescent↗

Selective mutism: more than social anxiety?

This study investigated the relationship between selective mutism (SM), social phobia (SP), oppositionality, and parenting styles. Twenty-one children with SP, 21 children with SM and SP, and 21 normal children ages 7-15, and the mother of each child, participated in an assessment of psychopathological factors potentially related to SM. Children with SM did not endorse higher levels of social anxiety than did children with SP, although clinicians gave higher severity ratings to those who had both disorders. In addition, although a dimensional measure of oppositionality (Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory) did not reveal group differences, there were significantly more diagnoses of oppositional defiant disorder among children with SM (29%) in comparison to children with SP alone (5%). With respect to parenting styles, there were no significant differences among parents of children with SM and the other groups, except that children with SP reported significantly less warmth/acceptance from parents than normal children. These data replicate previous findings that children with SM do not report greater social anxiety than other children with a SP diagnosis. Furthermore, they suggest that oppositional behaviors may be part of the clinical presentation of a subset of children with SM.

Adolescent↗

Is selective mutism associated with deficits in memory span and visual memory?: An exploratory case-control study.

Our main aim in this study was to explore the association between selective mutism (SM) and aspects of nonverbal cognition such as visual memory span and visual memory. Auditory-verbal memory span was also examined. The etiology of SM is unclear, and it probably represents a heterogeneous condition. SM is associated with language impairment, but nonspecific neurodevelopmental factors, including motor problems, are also reported in SM without language impairment. Furthermore, SM is described in Asperger's syndrome. Studies on nonverbal cognition in SM thus merit further investigation. Neuropsychological tests were administered to a clinical sample of 32 children and adolescents with SM (ages 6-17 years, 14 boys and 18 girls) and 62 nonreferred controls matched for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. We used independent t-tests to compare groups with regard to auditory-verbal memory span, visual memory span, and visual memory (Benton Visual Retention Test), and employed linear regression analysis to study the impact of SM on visual memory, controlling for IQ and measures of language and motor function. The SM group differed from controls on auditory-verbal memory span but not on visual memory span. Controlled for IQ, language, and motor function, the SM group did not differ from controls on visual memory. Motor function was the strongest predictor of visual memory performance. SM does not appear to be associated with deficits in visual memory span or visual memory. The reduced auditory-verbal memory span supports the association between SM and language impairment. More comprehensive neuropsychological studies are needed.

Adolescent↗

Transient mutism and speech disorders after posterior fossa surgery in children with brain tumours.

Four patients aged 5 to 9 years with large tumours located in the posterior fossa (PNET, ependymoma or astrocytoma) are presented. Patients received standard neuropsychological assessments, including speech evaluation, prior to surgery. Following tumour resection, these 4 children developed transient mutism or different types of speech and cognitive disorders, associated with behavioural disturbances. We describe course and results of repeated postoperative neurological and neuropsychological evaluations. Full recovery of speech was seen in 3 out of 4 patients; the only child with persistent symptoms was the one who already had neuropsychological deficits before surgery. However, despite fast recovery of the speech disorders more persistent behavioural problems were found in 3 out of 4 patients. Possible pathogenesis anatomical location of this "cerebellar speech syndrome" are discussed, as well as the relevance of repeated neuropsychological assessments.

Astrocytoma↗

Akinetic mutism followed by a manic reaction on introduction of steroid replacement for Addison's disease.

Neuropsychiatric changes during exogenous corticosteroid administration are well-recognized. However, reports of neuropsychiatric reactions to corticosteroid replacement for Addison's disease are distinctively rare. We report on a patient with primary adrenocortical insufficiency, initially presenting with depressive symptoms, who developed akinetic mutism followed by acute manic illness shortly after the initiation of steroid replacement. Both disorders occurred with physiological doses of hydrocortisone and resolved spontaneously. The pathogenesis of the above neuropsychiatric reactions is discussed in the context of glucocorticoid receptor-related brain effects of glucocorticoids. In addition, this report points to the need for accurate psychiatric assessment of patients with Addison's disease upon introduction of replacement therapy.

Addison Disease↗

Assessment of brain perfusion by 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in akinetic mutism due to high-dose intravenous methotrexate therapy.

Chemotherapy of the central nervous system may cause neurotoxicity in children with acute lymphocytic leukemia. We evaluated regional blood flow in a 6-year-old child presenting with akinetic mutism, using 99mTc-HMPAO single photon emission tomography (SPECT) following high-dose intravenous methotrexate therapy. While findings in X-ray computerized tomography were decreased density in bilateral basal ganglia and thalamic nuclei with diffusely decreased attenuation of the periventricular white matter, a global, frontal dominant profoundly abnormal perfusion pattern involving both gray and white matter was observed in the SPECT study. Treatment of the central nervous system with high dose intravenous chemotherapy may cause profound abnormalities in white and gray matter blood flow and early assessment of the neurotoxicity may be identified by 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT in the pediatric age group.

Akinetic Mutism↗

Non-specific markers of neurodevelopmental disorder/delay in selective mutism--a case-control study.

Selective mutism (SM) in children is frequently associated with language disorder/delay suggesting that neurobiological factors may be involved in the development of SM. Motor co-ordination problems, reduced optimality pre- and perinatally and minor physical anomalies represent other markers for neurodevelopmental disorder/delay. The present study explores these markers in referred children with SM (n=54), non-referred matched controls (n =108) and in SM subgroups with and without a communication disorder (CoD). Children with SM differed significantly from controls in parent-reported motor developmental delay, and they obtained a higher pre- and perinatal "reduced optimality score". They scored significantly lower on a motor performance test and showed a higher frequency of minor physical anomalies compared with controls. There were no differences in these respects between SM and CoD compared with SM without CoD. The results confirm that neurobiological factors may be involved in the development of SM. Accordingly, the clinical assessment of referred children with SM should include a thorough history of motor development and an evaluation of present motor skills. The interplay of shyness/social anxiety and motor function problems has to be addressed to reduce misunderstandings of the child's behaviour and to adjust demands for motor skills to the actual level of the child.

Adolescent↗

Elective mutism associated with selective inactivity.

In this short case report, elective mutism was only one aspect of a young boy's general pattern of selective non-responding. Behavior management procedures were successfully applied to his inactive nonverbal behavior, as well as his infrequent speech. Nonverbal responses were the easiest to train because they could be physically prompted if he did not respond on his own. Several of the successful treatment techniques were being employed by the mother prior to any intervention.

Behavior Therapy↗

Mutism and auditory agnosia due to bilateral insular damage--role of the insula in human communication.

We report a case of transient mutism and persistent auditory agnosia due to two successive ischemic infarcts mainly involving the insular cortex on both hemispheres. During the 'mutic' period, which lasted about 1 month, the patient did not respond to any auditory stimuli and made no effort to communicate. On follow-up examinations, language competences had re-appeared almost intact, but a massive auditory agnosia for non-verbal sounds was observed. From close inspection of lesion site, as determined with brain resonance imaging, and from a study of auditory evoked potentials, it is concluded that bilateral insular damage was crucial to both expressive and receptive components of the syndrome. The role of the insula in verbal and non-verbal communication is discussed in the light of anatomical descriptions of the pattern of connectivity of the insular cortex.

Adult↗