title: Combination therapy reduces self-injurious behavior in a chimpanzee (Pan Troglodytes Troglodytes): a case report.
abstract: Self-injurious behavior (SIB) remains a severe and intractable abnormal behavior for nonhuman primates in diverse settings and is a significant concern for veterinarians and behavioral scientists. To date, no single pharmacological, behavioral, social, or environmental intervention method has emerged as a reliable permanent cure for treating SIB in all, or even most, individuals. Implementation and evaluation of a combination therapeutic approach to treating SIB for nonhuman primates is rare. In May 2004, a 25-year-old male chimpanzee with severe SIB (M = 2.09 episodes/day, range = 1-4 episodes/day) underwent intensive behavioral intervention that utilized a combination of techniques. The combination therapy approach entailed the following: (a) pharmacological intervention with a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogue to treat suspected HIV-related sensory neuropathic pain, (b) positive reinforcement training, and (c) environmental enrichment, as well as social and environmental modification. The severity of SIB warranted immediate implementation of intensive combination therapy rather than a systematic evaluation of the individual treatment options. The individually tailored, multifaceted combination therapy resulted in the virtual elimination of SIB in this chimpanzee over a 2-year period.
authors.affiliation: Department of Comparative Medicine, Southwest National Primate Research Center/Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, TX 78245-0549, USA. sbourgeois@sfbr.org
authors.forename: Sabrina R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.forename: Maribel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Brasky
mesh_terms: D000588:Amines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018420:Ape Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D001521:Behavior Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077206:Gabapentin; D008297:Male; D002679:Pan troglodytes; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000628:therapy*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000588:Amines; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D003509:Cyclohexanecarboxylic Acids; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D000077206:Gabapentin