Emotional spasm

Classification according to ICD-10
R06.8	Other and unspecified breathing disorders - respiratory affect spasms
ICD-10 online (WHO version 2019)

Under Affect cramps means a exaggeration of affective (emotional) reactions that can not be controlled even by the person and express themselves in wine, laughter or screaming fits.

Especially in children between 1 and 5 years old, it may be respiratory affections cramps (ger .: breath holding spells or affective respiratory spasms ), the so-called convulsions of rage coming. These are affect spasms that develop from a minimal trigger such as fright, pain or discomfort through a screaming fit, holding of breath, cyanosis and exhaustion up to unconsciousness. This type of seizure can persist for a long time into school age and is also very rarely observed in adults based on emotionally induced hyperventilation . The dramatic symptoms usually disappear after exhaustion or a deep breath .

So far, no reliable organic or psychological causes for the affect cramps in the child could be determined. A higher proportion of mothers apparently suffer from iron deficiency anemia , an etiological connection is unclear. Clusters within families could also be observed. If respiratory affect convulsions are suspected , the presence of syncope from other causes must be ruled out, in particular epileptic forms , respiratory or cardiac diseases.

In severe cases associated with a slow heartbeat ( bradycardia ), treatment of the possible cardiac cause with a pacemaker has been tested.

See also

• Laughter # Medical aspects of laughter

Web links

Wiktionary: Laughing fit  - explanations of meanings, word origins , synonyms, translations

Individual evidence

1. ↑ T. Inagaki et al.: Breath-holding spells in somatoform disorder . In: Int. J. Psychiatry Med. 34 (2), 2004, pp. 201-205. PMID 15387403
2. ↑ O. Hüdaoglu et al: Parental attitude of mothers, iron deficiency anemia, and breath-holding spells . In: Pediatr. Neurol. 35 (1), 2006, pp. 18-20. PMID 16814080
3. ↑ MA Breukels et al .: Breath holding spells in a 3-day-old neonate: an unusual early presentation in a family with a history of breath holding spells . In: Neuropediatrics. 33 (1), 2002, pp. 41-42. PMID 11930276
4. ↑ JB Stephenson: Clinical diagnosis of syncopes (including so-called breath-holding spells) without electroencephalography or ocular compression . In: J. Child. Neurol. 22 (4), 2007, pp. 502-508. PMID 17621539
5. ↑ AM Kelly et al .: Breath-holding spells associated with significant bradycardia: successful treatment with permanent pacemaker implantation . In: Pediatrics. 108 (3), 2001, pp. 698-702. PMID 11533339

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !