Abstract
Plasma beta-endorphin levels were measured in 13 autistic children, aged 3.67 to 11.67 years at the end of treatment (naltrexone, haloperidol, pimozide, or placebo) and in 5 of the 13 children also at baseline. Baseline plasma beta-endorphin levels were lower than those reported in the literature. There was a strong correlation between plasma beta-endorphin levels and severity of sterotypies in all children. Naltrexone did not seem to have a specific effect on plasma beta-endorphin levels; short-term haloperidol treatment was associated with an increase, whereas long-term haloperidol treatment seemed to have a depressive effect on plasma beta- endorphin levels, which rose after withdrawal of haloperidol.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 221-227 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Psychopharmacology bulletin |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| State | Published - 1993 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Pharmacology (medical)
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Ernst, M., Devi, L., Silva, R. R., Gonzalez, N. M., Small, A. M., Malone, R. P., & Campbell, M. (1993). Plasma beta-endorphin levels, naltrexone, and haloperidol in autistic children. Psychopharmacology bulletin, 29(2), 221-227.