RELATIONSHIP OF SEDATIVE-HYPNOTIC RESPONSE TO SELF-INJURIOUS-BEHAVIOR AND STEREOTYPY BY MENTALLY-RETARDED CLIENTS

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 88  (2) , 177-186
Abstract
Groups of clients exhibiting both self-injurious behavior (SIB) and stereotypy, stereotypy alone, SIB alone, or neither of these types of behavior were rated in terms of response to sedative-hypnotic medication. Of the clients with both SIB and stereotypy, 68% maintained wakefulness and were either resistive, combative, restless, uncooperative, or abusive after treatment with sedative-hypnotics. Of the clients with only SIB, 39% and 35% of the clients with only stereotypy evidenced such paradoxical responses to these medications. None of the matched control clients displayed paradoxical responses. An impaired endogenous opiate system characterized by increased levels of .beta.-endorphin may mediate and maintain a type of syndrome of SIB that involves the presence of stereotypy, implying the need for a new diagnostic classification and treatment of these aberrant behavioral disorders.