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Autism spectrum disorder in older adults: The case study of a 65-year-old man

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

J. Menstell ,
U. Altunoz  and
M. Ziegenbein
J. Menstell*
Affiliation:
Wahrendorff Clinic, Centre Of Transcultural Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Sehnde, Germany
U. Altunoz
Affiliation:
Wahrendorff Clinic, Centre Of Transcultural Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Sehnde, Germany Hannover Medical School, Research Group For Social And Transcultural Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Hannover, Germany
M. Ziegenbein
Affiliation:
Wahrendorff Clinic, Department Of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, Sehnde, Germany
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized with ritualized behavior, difficulties in communication/ social interaction, restricted interests, and sensitivity to external stimuli. The ASD has gained attention in recent years, however it’s still difficult in geropsychiatric setting to identify high-functioning ASD, especially when patients’ coping mechanisms are successful. Not to determine high-functioning ASD structure in older age can lead to wrong diagnosis and inappropriate treatment trials.

Objectives

The aim of this presentation is to emphasize the importance of the evaluation of ASD-structure in old-age-psychiatry through the case study of a 65-years-old man.

Methods

One case report from the inpatient unit of a psychiatric clinic in Lower Saxony, Germany will be presented.

Results

Case: The patient was referred to our acute-psychiatric-ward due to delusional thoughts, depressive symptoms and lorazepam dependency. Delusional disorder was diagnosed in the outpatient-setting since he had interpreted some external stimuli in an eccentric way. During the therapeutic process, some features of high-functioning ASD such as social difficulties, dislike of change and repetitive/restrictive habits were prominent. Developmental history of the patient and the Autism-Spectrum-Quotient-50 also supported the clinical diagnosis of the ASD. Delusional disorder was excluded, and the therapy organized according to the structure characteristics of the high-functioning ASD which yielded to significant amelioration of depressive symptoms and increased perceived life quality of the patient.

Conclusions

Although coping mechanisms of the patients can be successful, identifying high-functioning ASD-structure even in an old-age can be quite helpful in diagnostic/therapeutic processes. An elaborate discussion of the subject through contemporary literature will be presented.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Keywords

differential diagnosisold age psychiatryAutismus Spectrum Disorder
Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 65 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 30th European Congress of Psychiatry , June 2022 , pp. S649 - S650
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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