Moderate to severe mental retardation | |
ICD-11 | 6A00.16A00.1, 6A00.26A00.2 |
ICD-10 | 71., 72. |
ICD-9 | 318.0318.0, 318.1318.1 |
MedlinePlus | 001523 |
eMedicine | med/3095 neuro/605neuro/605 |
MeSH | D008607 |
Imbecility
(from the Latin imbecillus “weak, feeble”; English imbecile) is an average degree of mental retardation, dementia, mental retardation, caused by a delay in the development of the brain of a fetus or child in the first years of life.
The terms “imbecility” and “ imbecile
” are outdated and not recommended for use, as they have gone beyond a purely medical framework and have begun to have a social (negative) connotation[1]. Instead, some manuals propose using neutral terms from ICD-10, according to which “imbecility,” depending on the degree of severity, corresponds to the diagnoses of “moderate mental retardation” (“moderate mental retardation”) and “severe mental retardation” (“severe mental retardation”). severe mental retardation")[1]. Nevertheless, in the psychiatric literature and literature on oligophrenopedagogy, the traditional terms “moronism,” “imbecility,” and “idiocy” continue to be used [2][3][4][5].
Nature of the pathology
Disturbances in the higher functions of brain activity lead to pathologies in the development of the human personality. A distinctive feature of this congenital disease is the image of an “eternal child”. As a rule, imbeciles master only primitive life skills. Many of the children with this disease easily make contact with others and show different reactions when approached.
Problems associated with pathology of brain activity make it difficult to master complex sciences. This feature can be clearly seen in the example of mathematics. A person suffering from this disease is able to fold only objects that have a certain specificity. Adding or subtracting simple numbers in the head is an impossible task for imbecile children. Also, children with congenital brain diseases have problems with learning to read and write. Even in adulthood, most people only read syllables. The ability to express one's thoughts in writing is usually limited to monosyllabic phrases.
Most patients experience difficulties in mastering social and everyday skills. Many imbeciles cannot dress or eat food on their own. In order to teach a child to perform various actions, they should be repeated over a long time.
The diagnosis of “imbecilism” leaves a peculiar imprint on a person’s appearance . According to statistical data, most patients have a violation of the proportions of head size. It can either significantly exceed or decrease the norm. External signs of imbecility include deformed facial bones, a “petrified” look, earlobes attached to the head and an incorrect bite. Focal neurological lesions lead to problems related to fine motor skills. Most people with imbecility have problems with the functioning of the musculoskeletal system, which is expressed by poor coordination of movements. To assess the extent of the problem, imagine that you cannot cope with such a habitual action as tying your shoelaces.
Imbecility is characterized by a congenital or acquired mental development defect in early childhood, which does not increase throughout life (but can be partially corrected)
In simple terms, this disease is characterized as “freezing” at the age of seven. Parents of people with the problem in question are perceived by the latter as an object of inexhaustible love. Imbeciles start their own family only in isolated cases. As a rule, their social circle is limited only to close relatives and members of rehabilitation groups.
The vocabulary of people with imbelicism is limited to a few hundred simple words that are used only when necessary. In speech, only monosyllabic sentences consisting of several phrases are used. The development of thinking stops at a primitive level, which is reflected in emotional manifestations. Most people with this pathology experience a complete absence of the volitional factor. If usual living conditions change, the patient may experience a feeling of strong fear. Lack of initiative, passivity and a high degree of suggestibility contribute to the high influence of the opinions of others on the behavioral model. Based on the above, we can conclude that throughout his life the patient needs constant supervision and control from relatives.
The patient's horizons have rigid boundaries, and almost never exceed the framework of satisfying simple instincts. Doctors say that many patients do not feel full, which forces them to eat double portions.
A person with this problem should constantly learn basic rules of behavior.
In the absence of parental and medical supervision, imbeciles can become a danger to themselves and those around them . Each holder of this diagnosis experiences difficulties associated with sexual disinhibition, which are expressed in the form of a lack of self-control of sexual desire. Violations in this area can lead to antisocial behavior, harassment of the fair sex and sexual crimes.
Tuberculosis
The disease is caused by special pathogens – mycobacteria. The respiratory system is most often affected, with the formation of lesions in the lungs and inflammation of the pleura. In children, the intrathoracic lymph nodes are involved in the pathological process.
Tuberculosis can also affect other organs:
- Bones.
- Intestines.
- Urogenital system.
- Dura mater of the brain (tuberculous meningitis, rare).
Antibiotics are required to treat the infection. But it is impossible to destroy mycobacteria with one drug. Phthisiatricians use a complex of antibacterial drugs - anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy. Its duration is at least 6 months; in severe forms it lasts longer.
An urgent problem of modern phthisiology is the drug resistance of the pathogen - multiple (MDR) and extensive (XDR).
Its occurrence requires changes in treatment regimens, a longer course, which increases the risk of side effects of drugs and the development of complications - drug-induced hepatitis, polyneuropathy, immunosuppression, kidney damage.
MDR tuberculosis
By multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, doctors mean a disease whose pathogens are resistant to the action of rifampicin and isoniazid. These antibacterial drugs are among the most powerful and highly effective. They are first-line drugs in the treatment of tuberculosis infection.
MDR in patients is formed in the following situations:
- Inadequately selected therapy. Treatment of infection should be comprehensive and include several antibiotics, depending on the form and stage of the disease.
- Completed treatment ahead of schedule. Its duration is at least 6 months. Improvement in well-being, disappearance of symptoms, cessation of bacterial excretion and positive dynamics on the radiograph are not a reason to discontinue antibiotics.
- Intermittent therapy. This occurs in the absence of proper control on the part of the medical institution, the patient’s disinterest in recovery, his ignorance of the consequences or asociality.
Mycobacteria with MDR can be transmitted, especially among weakened people with reduced immunity, in places where they are highly concentrated - in hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, nursing homes, prisons.
In recent years, tuberculosis with multidrug-resistant pathogens has become increasingly common in all countries.
XDR tuberculosis
Once XDR mycobacteria forms, the disease cannot be cured with most anti-TB drugs. Pathogens are resistant to first- and second-line drugs (including injectables) and at least one fluoroquinolone used in modern regimens.
XDR tuberculosis is a consequence of inadequately treated multidrug-resistant disease. Most often it develops when therapy is independently interrupted by the patient due to a large number of side effects associated with the prescription of second-line drugs. If there is no medical supervision, the patient remains untreated, mycobacteria acquire widespread resistance and spread freely in the environment.
This variant of tuberculosis is rare, but it has been recorded in 117 countries and has become a serious problem in phthisiology. The prognosis for XDR is in most cases unfavorable.
Types of the disease and causes of its occurrence
Imbecility, what is it? When examining this issue, it should be said that the disease in question is divided into four types, which differ in the reasons that provoked the development of the pathology. The hereditary type of the disease is associated with the presence of defective genes received from parents. The intrauterine type of pathology develops against the background of bacterial or viral lesions of the fetus during intrauterine development. There is also a special form of delayed intellectual development, provoked by pathologies in the functioning of the brain or endocrine system.
Along with external signs of underdevelopment of intelligence, primitive speech and underdeveloped learning abilities are observed
In addition, there is a type of imbecilism that is caused by asphyxia, brain hypoxia or birth injuries. This form of pathology can occur against the background of traumatic brain injury or serious infectious diseases in infancy. According to experts, there are many different factors that provoke disruptions in mental development. These factors fall into three categories:
- The first category is internal factors, the list of which includes poor heredity, genetic disorders and chromosomal abnormalities.
- The second category is external factors, among which we should highlight the presence of acute infectious diseases during gestation, or prolonged use of narcotic drugs by the child’s parents. This category of factors also includes traumatic brain injuries received during birth.
- The third category is the combination of the influence of external and internal factors, which significantly increases the risk of developing imbecility.
Varieties of persistent forms of the disease
Tuberculosis bacilli may be insensitive to one (monoresistance) or several (polyresistance) chemotherapy drugs. The more resistant the mycobacterium is, the more difficult it is to choose an appropriate treatment regimen.
Depending on the resistance of the pathogen, the disease can be one of the following forms:
- MDR tuberculosis (multidrug-resistant or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis). Occurs when bacteria are resistant to the effects of Rifampicin and Isoniazid. These medications are among the most powerful of the first-line anti-tuberculosis chemotherapy drugs. Moreover, the presence of resistance to other drugs of the same category does not matter.
- XDR-TB (extensively drug-resistant). It is one of the types of MDR-TB. XDR is diagnosed if the mycobacterium is resistant to any drug from the fluoroquinolone series and to any of the 3 injectable 2nd line antibiotics (Capreomycin, Kanamycin, Amikacin). The development of XDR-TB is facilitated by incorrect treatment of MDR-TB.
- An absolutely stable form. Not officially recognized, but a variety that exists. It is diagnosed when the tuberculosis bacillus is resistant to all tested chemotherapy drugs.
In addition to the one indicated, there is another classification:
- Primary form (infection with a resistant bacterium).
- Acquired resistance (developed after at least a month of therapy).
Prevalence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis in the Russian Federation, 2000–2009
At the time of diagnosis, drug-resistant pathology does not show itself in any way. The difference from the usual form of the disease becomes noticeable in the absence of a positive effect from the therapy used. Moreover, treatment may be ineffective, regardless of the duration (about six months). The infectious process progresses despite taking medications.
Severity of pathology
Oligophrenia is divided into three forms of severity, each of which is determined by the degree of mental retardation. Imbecilism, which is a moderate degree of mental retardation, also has several divisions. This pathology is divided into moderate and severe forms. Let's look at each of them in more detail.
Moderate imbecility is a condition in which the IQ ranges from thirty-four to forty-eight points. In this condition, there is limited intellectual ability, which is associated with certain situations. People with this form of the disease lack analytical and associative thinking.
The paucity of vocabulary and incorrect construction of sentences forces the patient to use speech skills only in cases of urgent need. The intensity of emotional perception is extremely low. The vast majority of patients experience neurological and psychomotor impairment. Organic lesions of parts of the brain provoke the development of epileptic seizures and symptoms of autism.
With severe imbecilism, IQ scores vary from twenty to thirty-four points. It should be noted that with this form of the disease, neurological symptoms are pronounced. Many patients experience paralysis and significant impairments in psychomotor functions. The degree of personal and intellectual development can be compared with a five-year-old child. The same can be said about vocabulary. People with this form of pathology need constant monitoring and assistance in self-care.
The diagnosis is established on the basis of the clinical picture, assessment of intellectual and psychomotor development
Characteristics of imbecility
Those suffering from this disease perfectly perceive what is said to them, they can even say a few phrases, but their vocabulary is not very rich and has shortcomings. Their vocabulary is 250-350 words.
The patients’ thoughts are stepwise, essentially, shallow, abstraction for “I” is impossible, the supply of information is very small. Such people are characterized by obvious sclerosis and lack of concentration.
Characteristics of imbecility:
- lack of activity;
- inaction;
- imaginary;
- confusion in a new place.
People with imbecility can be taught simple skills such as counting, writing and reading. Some of them can learn to do simple arithmetic calculations, and some are even able to master work tasks and be independent.
Patients calmly accept criticism and have a strong love for loved ones. Those suffering from imbecility are neither initiative nor energetic, suspicious, and easily get lost in a new environment. Such people need constant care, and an uncomfortable environment can have a detrimental effect on imbeciles.
Diagnostic methods and testing
In order to understand who an imbecile is, you should familiarize yourself with the methods of diagnosing this pathology. According to experts, disorders in the field of brain development can be diagnosed at certain stages of pregnancy. The screening technique allows you to determine the pathology within the first few months. Diagnosis of the level of intellectual development is carried out using various tests and the Wechsler scale. According to established standards, the intellectual development coefficient for this disease varies from twenty to sixty points, taking into account the severity of the disease.
If, as a result of the studies, the patient scores less than fifty-five points, he may be diagnosed with imbecilism. Also, such tests conducted by a neuropsychiatrist help assess intellectual potential. During a diagnostic examination, the doctor conducts a conversation with the patient in order to find out the level of development of the speech apparatus, the breadth of interests and social adaptation. The causes of the disease can be determined using procedures such as magnetic resonance and computed tomography. An electroencephalogram can be used as an additional diagnostic method. In cases of suspected vascular abnormalities, angiography is used.
The photos of imbeciles given in the article allow you to clearly see the anomalies in the development of the human body. It should be noted that imbecility has many similarities with other mental illnesses. The pathology in question has the same clinical manifestations as diseases such as dementia, juvenile schizophrenia and epilepsy.
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Methods of treatment and psychotherapeutic correction
Like many congenital psychiatric diseases, imbecility cannot be treated. In this case, therapy helps eliminate only the pronounced symptoms of this disease. All methods used are divided into symptomatic and specific therapy.
Mental changes with imbecility are more pronounced, and learning ability is less pronounced than with debility
Patients with enzyme defects and pathologies associated with metabolism need the use of specific agents. In the case of hypothyroidism, which is characterized as an acute deficiency of hormones, Levothyroxine is used. The treatment strategy is considered individually by a specialist. For toxoplasmosis, potent antibacterial drugs are used, among which “Chloridine” and “Diraprim” should be highlighted. Infectious diseases of the brain are eliminated using a mixture of sulfonamides and antibiotics. Among the medications in this group, Bakterial and Sulfatone are more effective.
For phenylketonuria, patients are prescribed a strict diet. All foods that contain protein should be excluded from your daily diet. With this pathology, the patient’s body exhibits disturbances in the production of the enzyme that is responsible for their breakdown. These problems are closely related to dysfunction of the thyroid gland. In order to compensate for the lack of nutrients, patients are prescribed Carnitine.
Symptomatic therapy involves the use of pharmacological agents aimed at stimulating brain activity. Most often, biostimulants and psychotropic drugs are used, the action of which is aimed at accelerating metabolism, as well as stimulating physical and intellectual activity. Comprehensive treatment includes the use of diuretics, which help the body get rid of excess fluid. To reduce excitement of the nervous system and control the patient's behavior, antipsychotics and tranquilizers are used. Anticonvulsant medications can be used as additional therapy.
In the absence of medical supervision from parents or specialists, a patient with imbeciles can pose a danger to others. In this situation, emergency medical intervention is necessary, since there is a risk of catastrophic consequences for human life.
Post-primary form of the disease
In other words, hematogenous tuberculosis. It is a disease that develops in the human body after a significant period of time after the first infection.
Hematogenous tuberculosis is typical for patients who have:
- High sensitivity to tuberculin.
- Increased immunity to mycobacterium disease.
- Foci of screenings left by the primary infection.
The latter may remain in an inactive phase for quite a long time. The situation changes under the influence of unfavorable circumstances.
Hematogenous tuberculosis can be classified as follows:
- Generalized tuberculosis.
- Extrapulmonary form.
- Pulmonary form.
This pathology is considered one of the types of pulmonary tuberculosis.
Generalized form
Hematogenous tuberculosis of this type occurs in rare cases and is quite severe. The pathology is characterized by the presence of uniform foci of the disease in many organs.
The disease comes in several forms:
- Necrotic (acute tuberculous sepsis).
- Acute general miliary (often fraught with meningitis).
- Acute general macrofocal.
Regardless of the type of pathology, to eliminate it, the source of the infection must be identified. Usually its role is played by an area in the genitals, lymph nodes, etc. that has not completely healed, which remains after the initial infection.
Extrapulmonary form
It occurs due to the presence of screening foci that remain after the primary infection.
Hematogenous tuberculosis in this form usually affects:
- Bones.
- Skin.
- Genitourinary system.
- Liver.
- Central nervous system.
- Thyroid gland.
The selection of recommended therapy is based on which organ or system was affected.