Oligophrenia - congenital or early acquired dementia, resulting in the underdevelopment of the intellect and psyche as a whole. Oligophrenia - not прогредиентный process, as a result of illness. The degree of mental deficiency is estimated quantitatively using the intellectual coefficient on the standard psychological tests. Mental retardation are often accompanied by defects of the physical development.
Etiology. Causes of mental retardation may be:
hereditary factors, including the pathology of the reproductive cells of parents (to this group of mental retardation are a disease Syndrome, true microcephaly, энзимопатические form);
intrauterine defeat of the embryo and fetus (hormonal disorders, rubella and other viral infections, congenital syphilis, toxoplasmosis);
the harmful factors of perinatal period and the first 3 years of life (the fetus and newborn asphyxia, birth trauma, immunological incompatibility of the blood of the mother and fetus - conflict rhesus-factor, head trauma in early childhood, childhood infections, congenital hydrocephalus).
Idiotija - the most profound degree of mental retardation, characterized by almost full absence of thought and speech. Idiots is not available meaningful activities. Emotional life limited to the primitive reactions of pleasure and displeasure. Some are angry-гневливые flash, the other- apathy and indifference to the environment. Idiots say only the individual sounds and words, often do not understand the speech of others, do not distinguish the relatives from strangers. They do not know the elementary skills of self-service, cannot alone is sometimes not even chew food, неопрятны, in need of constant care and supervision.
Imbecility - average severity degree of mental retardation. Imbetsily understand the speech of others, they can pronounce the short about it. Some imbetsily are able to produce elementary counting operation, to absorb the simplest labour skills and the skills of self-service. Emotions hero imbetsilov more differentiated, they are tied to the family, adequately react to the praise or blame. Thinking hero imbetsilov primitive, they are deprived of initiatives, inert, suggestible, are easily lost when changing the situation, in need of constant supervision and care.
Debility - the easiest degree of dementia. Morons usually finish secondary school, are able to lead an independent life. They have prevails specifically-descriptive type of thinking, while the ability to abstract is almost absent. Some moron with delay of mental development and low productivity of thinking is partial endowments (excellent mechanical or visual memory, the ability to produce in the mind of complex arithmetic operations, etc.). Among morons distinguish эретичных (excitable), flaccid apathetic, angrily-stubborn, vindictive and torpid (braked).
The Diagnosis. Difficulties in the diagnosis of mental retardation may occur in need of separating from the early beginning of schizophrenia. In contrast to the oligophrenics in patients with schizophrenia development delay is partial, dissociated character; along with this in the clinical picture reveals a number of common endogenous process - manifestations of autism, abnormal imagination, кататонические symptoms.
Олигофрению differentiate from dementia - acquired dementia, in which, as a rule, the elements of knowledge, a greater variety of emotional expressions, relatively rich vocabulary, the tendency to abstract constructions.
Treatment. Specific therapy is carried out with certain types of mental retardation with the etiology of congenital syphilis, toxoplasmosis, etc.); when олигофрениях associated with disturbances of metabolism (pku and etc.), appoint a dietetics; when endocrinopathies (cretinism, myxedema) - hormonal treatment. For stimulation of mental activity use piracetam, аминалон (gammalonum), as well as other психоактивирующие means and vitamins group b. Medicines prescribed for correction affective lability, and suppression of the perverted impulses neuleptilum, phenazepam, sonapaks). Of great importance for compensation олигофренического defect have a medical-educational measures, labour training and professional fitting.
In rehabilitation and social adaptation of oligophrenics along with the health authorities play the role of secondary schools, boarding schools, specialized SCHOOLS, workshops for the mentally retarded, etc.
Prevention of some hereditary form of mental retardation begins during pregnancy: a survey of pregnant women to detect syphilis, toxoplasmosis, резусотрицательного factor in the blood; the prevention of diseases of pregnant women rubella and other viral infections; skilled assistance during delivery, as well as the prevention of injuries and severe infections in newborns and young children.
