@article{ref1,
title="Self-injurious behavior and the efficacy of naltrexone treatment: a quantitative synthesis",
journal="Mental retardation and developmental disabilities research reviews",
year="2004",
author="Symons, Frank J. and Thompson, Andrea and Rodriguez, Michael C.",
volume="10",
number="3",
pages="193-200",
abstract="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.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1080-4013",
doi="10.1002/mrdd.20031",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mrdd.20031"
}