Clinical Pearls - how my patients taught me: The fainting lark symptom.
J Clin Mov Disord
; 3: 16, 2016.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27822381
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Compulsive movements, complex tics and stereotypies are frequent, especially among patients with autism or psychomotor retardation. These movements can be difficult to characterize and can mimic other conditions like epileptic seizures or paroxysmal dystonia, particularly when abnormal breathing and cerebral hypoxia are induced. CASE PRESENTATION We describe an 18-year-old patient with Asperger syndrome who presented with attacks of tonic posturing of the trunk and neck. The attacks consisted of self-induced stereotypic stretching of the neck combined with a compulsive Valsalva-like maneuver. This induced cerebral hypoperfusion and subsequently dysautonomia and some involuntary movements of the arms.CONCLUSION:
This patient suffered from a complex tic with compulsive respiratory stereotypies. His symptoms contain aspects of a phenomenon described in early literature as 'the fainting lark'.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Language:
En
Journal:
J Clin Mov Disord
Year:
2016
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Netherlands