At any time, "special" children were born. Unfortunately, the trend of the birth of such children is increasing every year. Oligophrenia or in other ways a lack of intelligence, today is diagnosed in 3% of the world's population. Boys in a higher risk zone for the development of the disease than the girls 2: 1.
Oligophrenia - what is it?
Oligophrenia is a congenital or acquired incomplete mental development (dr.g. ὀλίγος - small, small, φρήν - mind). Mental retardation in the international classification of diseases (ICD-10) is encrypted under headings F 70-79. With dementia, processes occur:
- reduce the skills that arise in the process of human development ;
- delay of the general intelligence (cognitive, language sphere, motor skills, social capacity).
What is the difference between ZPR and oligophrenia?
Mental retardation (PPR) is a general term that unites certain violations in the development of the psyche. Who is oligophrenic and what are the differential differences of the child with this diagnosis from the suffering ZPR:
- Oligophrenic is difficult to learn, children with DZP can achieve good results in their studies with an appropriate selected program.
- Children with ZPP accept the help of others while mastering intellectual tasks and subsequently apply them in similar mental operations or tasks. In oligophrenia, even the multiple assimilation of one intellectual task, assimilation takes place to an insignificant degree (depends on the severity of the disease).
- Oligophrenia is a total disruption of brain functions, with CRD characterized by mosaicism (underdevelopment of certain functions of the brain, with the complete preservation of others).
- CPR is more characteristic of emotional immaturity, psychophysical infantilism. Oligophrenia is an intellectual dysontogenesis.
- Children with PZD with due attention and training can become full citizens of the society. Oligophrenics often need the guardianship and custody of parents or the state.
Causes of Oligophrenia
Oligophrenic = this is the person who was diagnosed with oligophrenia. Why are children born with such a serious mental pathology? Specialists in the field of genetics and psychiatry call a variety of reasons:
- Genetic abnormalities: duplications and deletions of chromosomes (Down's syndrome), dysfunctions of certain genes (fragile X-chromosome syndrome, autism, Rett syndrome).
- Deep prematurity of the fetus.
- Hereditary metabolic disorders (phenylketonuria)
- Severe diseases of the mother during pregnancy (syphilis, listeriosis, toxoplasmosis) and exposure to chemical, physical adverse factors (use of psychoactive substances, irradiation).
- Rhesus-conflict.
- Complicated birth (fetal asphyxia, birth injuries, use of forceps).
- Craniocerebral injuries of the child.
- Postponed in infancy and early childhood, severe infectious diseases with neurotoxic effects on the central nervous system (meningitis, meningoencephalitis).
- Pedagogical neglect in periods when there is a rapid development of cognitive functions.
- Unclear etiology.
Oligophrenia - symptoms
If the child is oligophrenic born in a safe family, attentive parents immediately notice some features that are alarming. With a mild degree of dementia, a certain amount of time can pass, which means lost opportunities for correction. How to recognize oligophrenia at an early stage - there are certain signs of oligophrenia depending on the degree:
- abnormal structure of the skull (microcephalus, ancephalus, hydrocephalus);
- flattened nose, upturned wide-set oblique eyes;
- epicanthus ("third eyelid");
- violation of speech skills;
- underdevelopment of the emotional sphere ;
- multiorgan lesions;
- disturbance of cognitive functions.
Types of oligophrenia
Mechanisms of the emergence of oligophrenia predetermine the category or species to which the disease will be attributed. There are several classifications of oligophrenia:
- Primary (congenital) oligophrenia (genetic mutations).
- Secondary or acquired oligophrenia.
Another classification of oligophrenia according to MS. Pevzner (child psychiatrist-defectologist), revised in 1979:
- uncomplicated (easy);
- with violation of the processes of excitation and inhibition;
- with a violation in the analyzer system;
- with predominance of psychopathic forms of behavior;
- with pronounced underdevelopment of the frontal lobes.
Stages of oligophrenia
Disorders in oligophrenia proceed depending on the severity of the pathology and are divided into stages:
- Degeneracy is an easy degree of oligophrenia. Later, in comparison with healthy children development of articulation, motor skills, cognitive functions, speech defects. Oligophrenia in the stage of debility is characterized by age at the level of 8-12 years. Children study in institutions of a special type. The level of IQ is 50-69.
- Imbecility is an average degree. Oligophrenic is able to adapt in a familiar environment, independently satisfies physiological needs. Increased libido and sexual promiscuity, aggressiveness in behavior. Presented in two forms: not expressed (corresponds to the psychological age of 6-9 years, IQ 35-49;) and pronounced imbecility (3-6 years, IQ 20-34).
- Idiocy is the most severe degree, in which the most gross violations of intellect (less than 30, psychological age 1-3 years). Training is impossible. Because of severe damage to the body, rarely live to 30, only with proper care.
Oligophrenia treatment
Oligophrenia is a disease for a "lifetime" life, an exception is the disease of phenylketonuria, with timely diagnosis and a properly prescribed diet, a child can begin to develop normally. Treatment of oligophrenia is carefully selected by a doctor individually and symptomatic therapy is aimed at maintaining vital organs and systems.