Oligophrenia

General characteristic of a disease

The oligophrenia is the inborn or acquired at early age weak-mindedness. It is expressed in the general underdevelopment of mentality and first of all affects intelligence of the person. The term "oligophrenia" comes from two Greek words "oligos" (small) and "phrzn" (reason) though expressions "a mental delay" or "mental insufficiency" are considered as more correct. In use to mental retardation at children quite often call mental backwardness, and the child with a delay of intellectual development - backward.

The oligophrenia as individual disease, was classified only at the beginning of the last century. Till this time the general umbrella term "weak-mindedness" combined patients both with an inborn disease, and with the acquired mental underdevelopment, for example, senile dementia.

Oligophrenia reasons

There are three groups of the factors provoking development of a disease:

The first complex of the reasons of an oligophrenia has endogenous (internal) character. Here carry all types of the mental underdevelopment caused by chromosomal pathologies, various genetic syndromes and hereditary specific disbolism. Can serve as the reason of an oligophrenia of this type Klaynfelter, Shereshevsky-Turner, Rubinstayn's syndrome — Teybi, a Down syndrome, different types of a mukopolisakharidoz and other metabolic diseases.

The second complex of the reasons of an oligophrenia make factors exogenous, i.e. external, etiologies. In this case pre-natal infections can cause the general mental underdevelopment in the patient during pregnancy, the immunoconflict of blood of mother and child, birth and puerperal trauma of a skull of the kid, alcoholism of mother, drug addiction and other addictions which provoked serious violations in supply of a fruit with nutrients.

The complex of the reasons of an oligophrenia of the mixed etiology consists of factors of both the exogenous, and endogenous nature. As a result of cumulative impact on a human body at once of several adverse factors the most severe forms of an oligophrenia develop.

Oligophrenia forms

To each complex of the reasons of an oligophrenia there corresponds the separate form of a disease. In total for today it is accepted to distinguish 4 forms of an oligophrenia:

The I form of an oligophrenia – the hereditary option of a disease caused by defective generative cells of parents of the patient. Carry patients with a Down syndrome, a nanocephalia and a mental underdevelopment against the background of serious pathologies of skin and bones of the person to the I form of an oligophrenia.

The II form of an oligophrenia – different types embrio-and fetopathies. Rank the types of a mental underdevelopment caused by pre-natal factors as the II form of an oligophrenia: viral, bacterial or parasitic infections of the woman during pregnancy, hemolitic diseases of a fruit.

The III form of an oligophrenia – the delay of mental development in the child provoked by a birth trauma, a hypoxia or asphyxia at the time of delivery and also the encephalitis postponed aged up to 3 years, meningitis or a serious craniocereberal injury.

And the last VI form of an oligophrenia – the type of a mental underdevelopment caused by progressing of the basic inborn disease, for example, of various defects of a brain or endocrine pathologies.

Oligophrenia degrees

Depending on expressiveness of intellectual defect and intelligence quotient of the patient distinguish 3 degrees of an oligophrenia:

It is accepted to call easy mental retardation moronity. At patients with this degree of an oligophrenia the intelligence quotient is in repartitions of 50-70 balls. Patients have quite developed speech, can make simple arithmetic operations (to put, take away, count money). Their focus of interest is limited by household questions. To training patients with easy degree of an oligophrenia of interest do not show and show full inability to abstract thinking. They are able to acquire rules of public behavior and skills of primitive monotonous manual skills.

Deficiency of intellect – oligophrenia degree with moderate expressiveness of an intellectual underdevelopment. Intelligence quotient of these people from 20 to 49 points. Patients with this degree of an oligophrenia are tongue-tied. Their lexicon consists of several tens words. At this degree of an oligophrenia at the person ability to self-service remains, but to perform the most primitive production work as the patient often is not able.

Idiocy – oligophrenia degree with the deepest mental retardation. Patients of this group have intelligence quotient less than 20 points. The thinking at deep degree of an oligophrenia is almost undeveloped. Patients badly understand the speech turned to them. Their communication with people around is limited to manifestation of emotions of pleasure or displeasure. Skills of self-service at patients are absent, and they are completely dependent on the people who are looking after them.

Diagnosis of an oligophrenia

Some forms of an oligophrenia caused by genetic factors can be diagnosed at a stage of pre-natal development today. The issue of a possibility of abortion is in that case resolved.

The oligophrenia is diagnosed for children of the first year of life on the basis of the whole complex of symptoms of physical and mental lag in development. The oligophrenia at children of the earliest age is expressed in inability of the child about one year to hold the head, to sit, fix a look on one point, to turn the head on a sound, to smile or babble on the speech turned to it.

The oligophrenia at children of the second year of life is shown in lack of desire to learn the environment, in backwardness of the speech and motility. The child does not understand the speech turned to him and does not try to imitate actions of adults. At the earliest age the heaviest degrees of an oligophrenia are diagnosed, as a rule.

In the preschool period easy degree of an oligophrenia at children is expressed in poorly developed speech, dominance of primitive emotions, bad learnability and inability to self-service.

Treatment of an oligophrenia

For identification of various forms of an oligophrenia children around the world have a patronage control system of physical and mental development of the child from the birth and before its definition in school. Unfortunately, treatment of a disease is possible only at children with an oligophrenia of a metabolic etiology. In that case to the child drugs for correction of a metabolism are appointed, and the further course of a disease depends on a susceptibility of a children's organism to treatment.

At all other forms of an oligophrenia at children it is possible to carry out only auxiliary therapy by vitamin complexes, amino acids, nootropa, drugs for stimulation of cerebral circulation and reduction of intracranial pressure.

The diagnosis of "mental retardation" at children assumes participation of the child in the social program of rehabilitation. At easy and average degree of an oligophrenia patients go to specialized kindergartens and boarding schools. There they get an education approximately at the level of 4 classes of usual school and at the same time study any profession. After the termination of a nursing home most of graduates finds a job. At all forms of an oligophrenia to patients disability is made out and the allowance is granted.