2010/07/30 by Anny Sauvageau, Romano LaHarpe, David R. King +6 · 1 citation
Medicine · Neuroscience · Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutics · #Forensic Toxicology and Drug Analysis #Neuroscience of respiration and sleep #Restraint-Related Deaths
paper · doi:10.1097/paf.0b013e3181efba3a
openalex publication_date 2010/07/30 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/27
The Working Group on Human Asphyxia has analyzed 14 filmed hangings: 9 autoerotic accidents, 4 suicides, and 1 homicide. The following sequence of agonal responses was observed: rapid loss of consciousness in 10 ± 3 seconds, mild generalized convulsions in 14 ± 3 seconds, decerebrate rigidity in 19 ± 5 seconds, beginning of deep rhythmic abdominal respiratory movements in 19 ± 5 seconds, decorticate rigidity in 38 ± 15 seconds, loss of muscle tone in 1 minute 17 seconds ± 25 seconds, end of deep abdominal respiratory movements in 1 minute 51 seconds ± 30 seconds, and last muscle movement in 4 minutes 12 seconds ± 2 minutes 29 seconds. The type of suspension and ethanol intoxication does not seem to influence the timing of the agonal responses, whereas ischemic habituation in autoerotic practitioner might decelerate the late responses to hanging.