Rationale for the administration of opiate antagonists in treating infantile autism.

A rationale exists for clinical trials of opiate antagonists in at least some patients with pervasive developmental disorders. An abnormality in levels of an endogenous opioid ligand, which may be partially corrected by neuroleptics, has been reported in the plasma of some autistic patients. Moreover, data suggesting that opiate antagonism may improve faulty attention and diminish the frequency of self-injurious behavior were reviewed. Opiate antagonists may prove useful for those autistic patients with a profile of inattentiveness and self-injurious behavior. Also, these agents may act synergistically with neuroleptics.