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Toxins, Vol. 15, Pages 236: Botulinum Neurotoxin Injections in Children with Self-Injurious Behaviors
Toxins doi: 10.3390/toxins15040236
Authors: Mariam Hull Mered Parnes Joseph Jankovic
Self-injurious behaviors are repetitive, persistent actions directed toward one’s body that threaten or cause physical harm. These behaviors are seen within a broad spectrum of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions, often associated with intellectual disability. Injuries can be severe and distressing to patients and caregivers. Furthermore, injuries can be life-threatening. Often, these behaviors are challenging to treat and require a tiered, multimodal approach which may include mechanical/physical restraints, behavioral therapy, pharmacotherapy, or in some cases, surgical management, such as tooth extraction or deep brain stimulation. Here, we describe a series of 17 children who presented to our institution with self-injurious behaviors in whom botulinum neurotoxin injections were found helpful in preventing or lessening self-injury.
