The punishment of persistent vomiting: a case study

Area of Science:

• Behavioral psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Severe vomiting can be a debilitating symptom in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• Traditional interventions may not always be effective for managing severe vomiting in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of contingent electroshock as an intervention for severe vomiting in a patient with intellectual disability.
• To assess the impact of contingent shock on pre-vomiting responses and overall vomitus production.

Main Methods:

• A single-patient study was conducted involving a mentally retarded patient experiencing severe vomiting.
• Electroshock was administered immediately following each detected stomach tension, a pre-vomiting indicator.
• The rate of stomach tensions and the amount of emitted vomitus were systematically recorded.

Main Results:

• Following the implementation of contingent shock, there was an initial transient increase in stomach tensions.
• Subsequently, a significant decrease in the rate of stomach tensions was observed.
• A notable reduction in emitted vomitus occurred, leading to a positive weight gain for the patient.

Conclusions:

• Contingent electroshock can be an effective, albeit intensive, method for controlling severe vomiting in individuals with intellectual disabilities.
• The intervention demonstrated success in reducing both the physiological precursors (stomach tensions) and the behavioral outcome (vomitus).
• Observed weight gain suggests a positive impact on the patient's overall health and nutritional status.