Memory and Strangling

Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Attempted Hanging
Berlyne and M. Strachan
The British journal of psychiatry. Volume 114, Issue 509 April 1968, pp. 411-422
Abstract
In December, 1965, a patient was admitted to the wards at Parkside Hospital, Macclesfield, with a Korsakoff syndrome which had appeared following a suicidal hanging attempt. Strangulation as a cause of the Korsakoff syndrome appears in all surveys of the numerous causes of the disorder, from Bonhoeffer (1904) to Lewis (1961), but only one case (Whiteley, 1958) has been described in the English literature and this only briefly. Indeed, the whole subject of the neuropsychiatric sequelae of attempted hanging has received scant attention in the English literature, yet according to statistics of the Registrar-General (Stengel, 1964), hanging is the second commonest method of suicide in males in this country. Moreover, Bokonjic (1963) has collected 19 cases admitted to hospitals in Aarhus and Copenhagen between 1948–1958 suffering from the anoxic effects of attempted hanging, whilst Berczeller and Nowotny (1935) claimed to have dealt with 100 hanging survivors in the Vienna University Clinic over a ten-year period. Possibly of greater importance in justifying a review of this subject is the fact that the neuropsychiatric sequelae of attempted hanging are really those of cerebral anoxia. In this age, when surgical techniques involving interruption of the cerebral circulation are growing more frequent and when methods of anaesthesia and particularly dental anaesthesia are evoking a good deal of attention and contention, it is important that the psychiatrist should have some acquaintance with the psychological and neurological symptoms and signs that are caused by cerebral anoxia.

Frequency and relationship of reported symptomology in victims of intimate partner violence: the effect of multiple strangulation attacks
Donald J. Smith Jr., et. al.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 3, October 2001, Pages 323-329
Abstract
The objective of this study is to examine the correlation between the number of times a victim of intimate partner violence (IPV) has been strangled and symptom development subsequent to the attacks. One hundred and one female subjects responded to a series of questions regarding the history and characteristics of the strangulation and the development of specific medical symptoms. Multiple strangulation victims, individuals who had experienced more than one strangulation attack, on separate occasions, by the same abuser, reported neck and throat injuries, neurologic disorders, and psychological disorders with increased frequency. Despite the increased frequency of symptoms, only 39% of the multiple strangulation victims sought medical care. These observations strongly support the need for health care professionals to inquire about the incidence of strangulation, examine the victim closely for evidence of injuries caused by the attacks, and recommend immediate care in anticipation of the potentially long term medical needs.

A review of 300 attempted strangulation cases part I: criminal legal issues
Gael B Strack, et.al.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 3, October 2001, Pages 303-309
Abstract
Three hundred strangulation cases, submitted for misdemeanor prosecution to the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, were evaluated to determine the signs and symptoms of attempted strangulation that could be used to corroborate the victim’s allegation of being “choked” for purposes of prosecution. The study reveals that a lack of training may have caused police and prosecutors to overlook symptoms of strangulation or to rely too heavily on the visible signs of strangulation. Because most victims of strangulation had no visible injuries or their injuries were too minor to photograph, opportunities for higher level criminal prosecution were missed.

A review of 300 attempted strangulation cases part II: clinical evaluation of the surviving victim
George EMcClane, Gael Strack, Dean Hawley
The Journal of Emergency Medicine, Volume 21, Issue 3, October 2001, Pages 311-315
Abstract
Medical literature describing victims who survive strangulation is scant. The majority of articles on strangulation are found in the forensic literature, describing the post-mortem findings on autopsy. This article presents a suggested protocol for the evaluation and treatment of the surviving victim of strangulation, based upon a review of the available literature. It also corroborates the findings of Strack et al., in the study by the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, described in Part I of this series.

Survey results of women who have been strangled while in an abusive relationship
LeeWilbur, et. al.
The Journal of Emergency Medicine. 2001 Oct;21(3):297-302.
Abstract
Few studies attempt to examine individual methods of domestic abuse. The objectives of this study are to evaluate strangulation as a method of domestic violence abuse: to determine the incidence of strangulation occurrence within the cycle of domestic violence, the subjective medical symptoms experienced by victims of intimate partner strangulation, and the elective utilization of health care following a strangulation incident. Sixty-two women were surveyed at two women’s shelters in Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California and the Parkland Health & Hospital (PHHS) Violence Intervention Prevention (VIP) Center in Dallas, Texas. Each patient was individually interviewed and verbal responses were recorded. Statistics were performed using the SPSS program. Of the 62 surveyed, 42 (68%) had been strangled by their intimate partner who was a husband (23, 55%), boyfriend (13, 31%), or fiancé (2, 5%), by a mother, stranger, or friend (1 each). Strangulation, as a method of domestic violence, is quite common in women seeking medical help or shelter in a large urban city. This study suggests that strangulation occurs late in the abusive relationship; thus, women presenting with complaints consistent with strangulation probably represent women at higher risk for major morbidity or mortality.