The opiate antagonist naloxone was effective in reducing self-abusive behavior in two mentally retarded clients with an extensive history of such behavior. Three doses of naloxone (0.1, 0.2, 0.4 mg) were compared with a vehicle solution in a double-blind, crossover design. Naloxone greatly attenuated self-abusive episodes in one client and eliminated them entirely in the second client. In addition, use of self-restraining behavior by one client was reduced. The findings suggested that some clients with self-injurious behavior may have disturbances of the endogenous opiate system. Maintenance of self-abuse by tonically elevated pain threshold and/or by the putative addictive characteristics of such behavior was discussed.

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Flexible arm splints permit the control of hand-to-mouth contacts without restricting range of motion. In the present study they effectively suppressed the self-injurious finger biting of a child with Lesch-Nyhan disease and a profoundly retarded client's stereotypic finger sucking. They appear to offer an easily applied and much less restrictive alternative to the soft-tie and tubular arm restraints in common use.