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Plasma Beta-Endorphin Concentrations in People with Learning Disability and Self-Injurious and/or Autistic Behaviour

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Sophie H. N. Willemsen-Swinkels ,
Jan K. Buitelaar ,
Florence G. Weijnen ,
Jos H. H. Thijssen  and
Herman Van Engeland
Sophie H. N. Willemsen-Swinkels*
Affiliation:
Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Utrecht University
Jan K. Buitelaar
Affiliation:
Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Utrecht University
Florence G. Weijnen
Affiliation:
Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Utrecht University
Jos H. H. Thijssen
Affiliation:
Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital Utrecht
Herman Van Engeland
Affiliation:
Rudolf Magnus Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Utrecht University
*
Jan K. Buitelaar, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, P.O. Box 8550, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands. Fax: 31 30 542286
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Abstract

Background

It has been suggested that the key variable in reduced plasma immunoreactive β-endorphin concentrations in autistic subjects may be concomitant self-injurious behaviour.

Method

We studied morning levels of plasma β-endorphin in 33 learning disabled people with self-injurious and/or autistic behaviour.

Results

The β-endorphin level of the subjects with severe self-injurious behaviour proved to be significantly lower than that of autistic subjects without severe self-injurious behaviour (3.6 (1.4) pmol/l v. 5.8 (4.3) pmol/l; t-test: P = 0.045. Replication: 3.7 (1.1) pmol/l v. 5.7 (3.8) pmol/l; t-test P = 0.043). Individuals with mild and occasional self-injurious behaviour were found to have β-endorphin levels comparable to those without self-injurious behaviour. Further, subjects being treated with neuroleptics had lower β-endorphin levels than untreated subjects.

Conclusions

These results stress that in any study of opioid systems of learning disabled people, it is very important to differentiate between people with and without severe self-injurious behaviour. The results support the idea that severe self-injurious behaviour may be related to functional disturbances in the endogenous opioid system.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 168 , Issue 1 , January 1996 , pp. 105 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © 1996 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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