Naltrexone in Autistic Children: Behavioral Symptoms and Attentional Learning

doi:10.1097/00004583-199311000-00024

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Volume 32, Issue 6, November 1993, Pages 1283-1291

https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199311000-00024 Get rights and content

Abstract

Objective

To assess critically the short-term efficacy and safety of naltrexone in autistic children and its effects on discrimination learning in the laboratory.

Method

A parallel group design was employed. After a 2-week placebo baseline period, children were randomly assigned either to naltrexone or to placebo for a period of 3 weeks followed by a one-week posttreatment placebo period. Multiple raters and rating scales were employed in a variety of conditions. Forty-one children, all inpatients, ages 2.9 to 7.8 years, completed the study. Naltrexone reduced hyperactivity and had no effect on discrimination learning in the laboratory. There was a suggestion that it had a beneficial effect on decreasing self-injurious behavior. Untoward effects were mild and transient.

Conclusion

In the present study, naltrexone significantly reduced only hyperactivity, and no serious untoward effects were observed. The effectiveness of naltrexone in the treatment of autism and self-injurious behavior requires additional assessment in a sample of children with moderate to severe self-injurious behavior. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 1993, 32, 6:1283–1291.

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: This research was supported in part by USPHS Grants MH-32212 (M.C.) and MH-18915 (M.C., M.E., N.M.G.) from the NIMH; the Hirschell and Deanna E. Levine Foundation, and the Marion O. and Maximilian E. Hoffman Foundation, Inc. The authors thank the New York Health and Hospitals Corporation, I.E. du Pont de Nemours & Company for supplying naltrexone (Trexan) and matching placebo tablets and for supporting in part the statistical analyses; the Nursing Staff on 21 South. Bellevue Hospital Center, and Lisa D. Bluhm, R.N.

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Case StudyNaltrexone in Autistic Children: Behavioral Symptoms and Attentional Learning

Abstract

Objective

Method

Conclusion

J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiatry

J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry

J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry

J. Am. Acad. Child Psychiatry

Biol. Psychiatry

Trends Neurosci.

J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry

Haloperidol in the treatment of infantile autism: effects on learning and behavioral symptoms

Am. J. Psychiatry

The effects of haloperidol on discrimination learning and behavioral symptoms in autistic children

J. Autism Dev. Disord.

Effects of naloxone and naltrexone on self-injury: a double-blind, placebo controlled analysis

Am. J. Ment. Retard.

Timed Stereotypies Rating Scale

Psychopharmacol. Bull.

Behavioral and cognitive measures used in psychopharmacological studies of infantile autism

Psychopharmacol. Bull.

Pervasive developmental disorders

The effects of haloperidol on learning and behavior in autistic children

J. Autism Dev. Disord.

Neuroleptic-induced dyskinesias in children

Clin. Neuropharmacol.

Tardive and withdrawal dyskinesia in autistic children: a prospective study

Psychopharmacol. Bull.

Developmental Diagnosis

Endorphin activity in childhood psychosis: spinal fluid levels in 24 cases

Arch. Gen. Psychiatry

ECDEU Assessment Manual for Psychopharmacology-revised

Naltrexone decreases self-injurious behavior

Ann. Neurol.

Case Study
Naltrexone in Autistic Children: Behavioral Symptoms and Attentional Learning