Research summaries for autism therapy: Revia - Vivitrol (naltrexone)

definition of Revia - Vivitrol (naltrexone): This medication may be prescribed for autistic children to help improve ability to socialize and make eye contact, and also to help reduce pain sensitivity, self-injury behaviors, and repetitive behaviors. Revia® is indicated for people who are trying to stop an addiction to alcohol or opioids (e.g., morphine or heroin). This drug is an opioid antagonist, so it binds to opioid receptors and blocks the binding of alcohol or other drugs to the receptors, thus blocking the opiates from having an effect so the person will stop their addiction. Some children with autism have higher than normal levels of beta-endorphins in their nervous system, and naltrexone can lower beta-endorphin levels. An extended release injectable form is also available and is called Vivitrol®.
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The Pharmacologic Treatment of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity in Autism, Summarized Oct 14, 2009

Some medications may improve attention spans and decrease hyperactivity in people with autism.

The author describes clinical trials of drug therapies in autism. Methylphenidate and atomoxetine are both used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). These drugs may also help treat ADHD-like symptoms in people with autism. In autism, methylphenidate may work better for hyperactivity, and atomoxetine may work better for attention deficits. Other drug therapies may be helpful for ADHD-like symptoms in autism. Haloperidol, risperidone, clonidine, guanfacine, amntadine, and naltrexone have been researched. All of these drugs have shown improved behaviors in at least one study. However, other studies showed little or no effect of these drugs in autism.

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Low-Dose Naltrexone for Disease Prevention and Quality of Life, Summarized Jun 17, 2009

Low-dose naltrexone may help increase social interactions and cheerfulness in some children with autism.

A dose of about 0.25 mg/kg naltrexone drug therapy every other day helped some children, and better social behaviors were seen on the days in between. The theory for how this works is that low-dose naltrexone increases production of opioids and dopamine activity in the brain, which can make the brain feel happier. Read more...

Psychopharmacology of Aggression in Children and Adolescents with Autism: A Critical Review of Efficacy and Tolerability, Summarized Jun 13, 2008

Five drugs have been shown to help with aggression in children with autism: tianeptine, methylphenidate, risperidone, clonidine, and naltrexone.

This review article describes studies on the use of drug therapy used to treat aggression in children with autism. The best research supports the use of risperidone and methylphenidate to treat symptoms of aggression in children with autism. The authors believe that future research should look to see if a class of drugs known as serotonin reuptake inhibitors can also help treat aggression. In all cases the authors suggest that studies start with a low dosage of drug and slowly increase the amount of drug. The authors also suggest that all future studies of autism look to see if the drug is able to help with aggression.
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Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Pharmacological Treatments for Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Summarized Jan 31, 2008

More studies need to be done in order to show the safety and efficacy of drug therapy for the treatment of symptoms of autism.

This review article looked at research on the use of drug therapy to manage symptoms of autism in adolescents and adults. The authors found only five randomized placebo-controlled trials which were well designed to look at whether or not drug therapy works for adolescents and adults with autism. These studies looked at only six drugs: risperidone, naltrexone hydrochloride, fluvoxamine, clomipramine, and haloperidol. Only one of the studies looked at dose effect and found no differences between the different prescribed dosages of risperidone. The authors call for more studies on the benefits of drug therapy for people with autism. Read more...

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Synonyms for Revia - Vivitrol (naltrexone) include: naltrexone, Revia, Revia®, Vivitrol, Vivitrol®
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