ERIC Number: EJ904436
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2004-Aug
Pages: 8
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1080-4013
EISSN: N/A
Self-Injurious Behavior and the Efficacy of Naltrexone Treatment: A Quantitative Synthesis
Symons, Frank J.; Thompson, Andrea; Rodriguez, Michael C.
Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, v10 n3 p193-200 Aug 2004
People with mental retardation, autism, and related developmental disabilities who self-injure are treated with a wide array of behavioral techniques and psychotropic medications. Despite numerous reports documenting short-term and some long-term changes in self-injury associated with the opiate antagonist naltrexone hydrochloride, no quantitative review of its efficacy has been reported. We conducted a quantitative synthesis of the peer-reviewed published literature from 1983 to 2003 documenting the use of naltrexone for the treatment of self-injurious behavior (SIB). Individual-level results were analyzed given subject and study characteristics. A sample of 27 research articles involving 86 subjects with self-injury was reviewed. Eighty percent of subjects were reported to improve relative to baseline (i.e., SIB reduced) during naltrexone administration and 47% of subjects SIB was reduced by 50% or greater. In studies reporting dose levels in milligrams, males were more likely than females to respond. No significant relations were found between treatment outcomes and autism status or form of self-injury. Results are discussed with respect to future efficacy work related to study outcomes and the pharmacological treatment of self-injury. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Self Destructive Behavior, Mental Retardation, Autism, Injuries, Developmental Disabilities, Drug Therapy, Behavior Modification, Literature Reviews, Outcomes of Treatment, Pharmacology
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A