title: Self injurious behavior in autism: clinical aspects and treatment with risperidone.
abstract: Self injurious behavior (SIB) is frequent in autistic spectrum disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the phenomenology of SIB in a group of children with autistic disorder, and to test whether treatment with risperidone might reduce it. A group of eleven children diagnosed with autistic disorder according to the DSM-IV criteria (mean age 8.7+/-2.2 ys) and with severe SIB were recruited for an open study of six months of treatment with risperidone. The Yale-Paris Self-Injurious Behavior Scale was used to delineate the clinical characteristics and as an outcome measure. Head-hitting and hand biting were the most frequent forms of self aggression observed. Nine children presented a mild improvement in SIB and 2 did not show any variation. A decrease in Yale-Paris Self Injurious Behavior Scale score (from M 15.1+/-1.4 to 13.3+/-1.4) was noted mainly due to the reduction of frequency. Side effects of risperidone were not severe.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Neuropsychiatry, University General Hospital of Siena, Italy. r.canitano@ao-siena.toscana.it
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Canitano
mesh_terms: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D001923:Brain Chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018967:Risperidone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D014150:Antipsychotic Agents; D011954:Receptors, Dopamine; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D012701:Serotonin; D018967:Risperidone; D004298:Dopamine