Psychoorganic syndrome

The psychoorganic syndrome is a symbol of the pathologies leading to organic lesion of a brain which is characterized by a combination of three main symptoms: decrease in intelligence, memory impairment and emotional lability (triad Walter-Bueel). Depending on what site of a brain is damaged, other mental disorders – visual and auditory hallucinations, Korsakov's syndrome, and also neurologic disturbances also can join a triad, up to stupefaction and a coma.

Reasons of a psychoorganic syndrome

The following pathological processes act as the reasons of a psychoorganic syndrome:

• Vascular diseases of a brain;
• Damages of the central nervous system;
• Craniocereberal injuries;
• Chronic disbolism;
• Anoxemia;
• Intoxications;
• Infections;
• Tumors and abscesses.

Mental weakness is possible also at syphilis, encephalitis and epilepsy. Not less often it arises because of atrophic processes in old age, for example, at Alzheimer's disease.

Classification and symptoms

Distinguish 4 stages of development of a psychoorganic syndrome:

• Asthenic;
• Explosive;
• Euphoric;
• Apathetic.

The asthenic syndrome is characterized by the following signs:

• Physical and mental exhaustion;
• Irritability;
• Hyperesthesia;
• Incontience of affects;
• Insignificant decrease in intelligence;
• Easy dismnestichesky frustration.

Sharp changes of climatic conditions cause an aggravation of symptoms in patients. The intolerance of a heat is noted.

In an explosive stage the clinical picture of a psychoorganic syndrome includes:

• Combination of emotional lability and aggression to small disturbances of memory and deterioration in adaptation;
• Self-checking loss, strengthening of inclinations and weakening of strong-willed delays;
• Alcoholism, which develops as a result of attempts to remove alcohol the internal stress and irritability that only worsens the general state and increases organic insufficiency;
• Tendency to the supervaluable ideas and paranoia;
• Hysterical forms of reactions to failure to meet requirements or an obstacle in implementation of plans.

At euphoric, or morioidny, option of a psychoorganic syndrome working capacity is strongly limited. This state is followed by improvement of mood with euphoria and complacency, considerable decrease in criticism of the state, serious dysmnesias. A distinguishing character is violent laughter or crying which reason is quickly forgotten, and mimic reaction can remain long time already without emotional contents. Some patients have anger attacks which are replaced by helplessness and tearfulness.

At an apathetic form the apatoabulichesky state develops. The focus of interest sharply is narrowed, appears indifference to itself and people around. Symptoms remind schizophrenia or an epileptic disease from which the psychoorganic syndrome differs in dismnestichesky frustration, an adynamy and violent crying and laughter. Signs of organic injury of the central nervous system are strongly expressed.

Psychoorganic syndrome at children

A number of age features has a psychoorganic syndrome at children. The organic lesions of a brain which are their cornerstone arise at intensive evolutive development of systems and functions of a brain at this or that degree of morpho-physiological immaturity of the central nervous system.

Up to 4-5 years decrease in intelligence is expressed in an insignificant delay of speech development and a poor lexicon. Verbal tasks are performed worse than nonverbal. Interest in stories and fairy tales is not shown, songs and verses are badly remembered. Neuropathic disturbances remind symptoms of inborn children's nervousness and include:

• Hyperexcitability;
• Dispepsichesky frustration;
• Vomiting and vomiting;
• Allergy;
• Wrong alternation of wakefulness and dream;
• Small appetite;
• High sensitivity to external influences;
• Impressionability;
• Unstable mood;
• General motive disinhibition;
• Fussiness;
• Perception disturbances;
• Diskoordination.

From 4-5 years the psychoorganic syndrome at children is characterized by preferential emotional and strong-willed and motive frustration:

• The increased affective excitability;
• Irritability;
• Impulsiveness;
• Insufficient feeling of a distance;
• Importunity;
• Frequent change of mood;
• Motive disinhibition;
• Weak attention;
• Delay in motility development.

Vegetative disturbances at the same time pale into insignificance.

At school students and teenagers the psychoorganic syndrome is shown more variously, and intellectual dysfunction, impulsiveness and a lack of self-criticism are expressed stronger.

Treatment of a psychoorganic syndrome

Assessment of severity of a psychoorganic syndrome, both at adults, and at children, is carried out by test for meteopatichesky reaction. The so-called syndrome of Pirogov is that the condition of the patient changes at increase or decrease in barometric pressure. More serious condition is diagnosed when the person feels worse before fluctuations of pressure, but not after them.

Treatment of a psychoorganic syndrome has to be directed to elimination of its prime cause. At the confirmed organic diseases of a brain apply antibiotics, antiviral and hormonal drugs. As pathogenetic therapy carry out a detoxication and dehydration, and also appoint drugs which normalize a hemodynamics and metabolism of a brain. Symptoms treat anticonvulsant, resorptional and vascular means. Achieve a positive effect also psychotropic drugs and an immunotherapy.