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Published on: January 29, 2017
Sequential analysis of the effects of naltrexone on the environmental mediation of self-injurious behavior
F J Symons1, J Tapp, A Wulfsberg
1Department of Educational Psychology, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Campus, Minneapolis 55455, USA. symon007@umn.edu
Abstract:
Accumulated evidence shows that biology and the environment can mediate self-injurious behavior (SIB) in persons with mental retardation. Whether pharmacological treatment alters the environmental mediation of self-injury is unclear. Opioid antagonist effects on sequential dependencies for self-injury were studied in the context of experimental single-subject double-blind placebo-controlled designs. Direct observational data were collected for 4 adult subjects in real time on daily rate of SIB and staff interactions. Clinically significant reductions (i.e., > or = 33%) in SIB rate were observed for 3 of the 4 subjects. For all subjects, the magnitude of the sequential dependency between staff behavior and self-injury was significantly greater during treatment with naltrexone than during treatment with a placebo. Results are discussed in relation to behavioral mechanisms of action regulating medication effects for self-injury.
Insights
Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, reduced self-injurious behavior (SIB) in individuals with intellectual disabilities. The medication also altered the relationship between staff interactions and SIB, suggesting a role in behavioral mechanisms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience and Behavioral Psychology
- Pharmacological Interventions for Developmental Disabilities
Background:
- Self-injurious behavior (SIB) in individuals with intellectual disabilities is influenced by biological and environmental factors.
- The impact of pharmacological treatments on the environmental mediation of SIB remains incompletely understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of opioid antagonists on sequential dependencies in self-injurious behavior.
- To examine how pharmacological treatment influences the environmental mediation of self-injury.
Main Methods:
- Employed single-subject, double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental designs.
- Collected real-time observational data on the daily rate of SIB and staff interactions for four adult subjects.
- Administered naltrexone and placebo treatments.
Main Results:
- Three out of four subjects exhibited clinically significant reductions (≥33%) in SIB rates during naltrexone treatment.
- The sequential dependency between staff behavior and SIB was significantly greater with naltrexone compared to placebo for all subjects.
- Naltrexone demonstrated an effect on the environmental modulation of self-injurious behavior.
Conclusions:
- Opioid antagonist treatment, specifically naltrexone, can effectively reduce self-injurious behavior in some individuals with intellectual disabilities.
- Naltrexone appears to alter the behavioral mechanisms through which environmental factors, such as staff interactions, influence SIB.
- Further research into the neurobiological underpinnings of medication effects on SIB is warranted.
