Geller's Syndrome is a disintegrative disorder characterized by rapidly progressive dementia in young children that occurs after a period of normal development. It is rare and, unfortunately, does not promise a favorable prognosis. The article will discuss why it occurs, what symptoms indicate its development, how to diagnose it, and whether such an ailment can be treated at all.
About the disease in brief
Geller's syndrome is manifested by the sudden loss of previously formed skills and functions by the child. It falls on the period from 2 to 10 years - children at this age are at risk.
A child affected by this pathology loses speech, the ability to perform ordinary household rituals and to solve intellectual problems that he used to be able to do. He stops using non-verbal communication means, is not interested in anything.
And,Unfortunately, the etiology is still unknown. Thanks to recent studies, it was possible to establish a certain connection between this process and the neurobiological mechanisms of the central nervous system. As a result of an electroencephalographic examination, it turned out that about 50% of children have altered electrical activity in the brain.
Research also continues to link Heller's syndrome to Schilder's disease, leukodystrophy, and seizures. There is a version regarding the fact that the disease has an infectious origin. Allegedly, there is a filtering virus - a pathogen of small size, which is not yet available for study under a microscope.
Pathogenesis
Unfortunately, he is also unknown. But scientists managed to identify the patterns of development of pathological processes. This disease is preceded by at least two and at most ten years of absolutely normal development. The child masters speech and social skills well, understands adults, and does some household chores. And then anxiety symptoms suddenly appear.
Parents notice that the child has become irritable and hyperactive, observe emotional disturbances of a different nature. And then within 6-12 months, the vast majority of the skills that he previously acquired disappear. The intelligence of the baby is reduced so much that it seems as if the child is autistic. The signs, however, are similar.
The disease progresses rapidly. The kid becomes mentally retarded, he loses his reflexcontrol of bowel and bladder emptying. Then the state stabilizes at this level. From this moment, you can begin to develop and restore lost skills. However, this process is very slow and, moreover, one cannot do without psychological and pedagogical assistance.
First symptoms
It is necessary to tell about them a little more in detail. It is important to know the symptoms that indicate that a child is autistic. Signs, by the way, are similar to Kanner's syndrome. But there is also a difference. Therefore, it is still wrong to call patients with Geller's disease autistic.
So, the symptoms of this syndrome can be identified in the following list:
- Sudden onset of irritability, willfulness, anxiety and anger.
- Affective irascibility occurs, complemented by hyperactivity.
- The ability to carry out complex activities that require perseverance, concentration and distribution of attention is lost.
- Simple actions (decorating, assembling a constructor, participating in role-playing games) cause incredible difficulty for a child.
- Angry, restlessness appears.
- Baby refuses to study if he has difficulty or makes a mistake.
All of the above can be perceived by parents as ordinary whims, and therefore do not pay any attention to the changes taking place with their child.
It is precisely because of this that the diagnosis of the disease at the initial stage is difficult. The child does not want to talk, is naughty,shows character? And what a transitional age! Often this happens, but, unfortunately, sometimes these changes indicate the development of a dangerous pathology.
Other signs
For several months, the child may be hyperactive and emotionally unstable. But then there are other symptoms of Heller's syndrome, much more specific.
Speech changes a lot. She is impoverished, the vocabulary of the baby is reduced. He no longer speaks extended phrases, replacing them with simple sentences and elementary commands - “give”, “go”, “no”, “yes”. As a result, speech simply falls apart. The child stops speaking and understanding other people.
Also, the baby becomes withdrawn, autistic, indifferent, detached. Then the motor skills fall apart. He can no longer brush his teeth himself, as before, wash himself, put away toys, eat, dress, relieve himself. These signs may be accompanied by manifestations of neurological pathology.
A year has passed since the onset of the first symptoms - and now the child has completely lost everyday, social and speech skills.
Complications
Without them, childhood disintegrative disorder does not go away. Intensive progression of the disease is replaced by a stable negative period. There are no complications of a mental and somatic nature, however, social adaptation becomes impossible.
A child in this condition needs special training. They cannot be educated in any secondary orvocational school, they will not be able to master the profession, there is almost no chance of starting a family.
Such children develop very slowly, and therefore need constant care from the outside. If the situation progresses positively, then normal control will be enough in the future.
Unfortunately, this disease affects the parents of a sick child most of all. Almost all of them have to give up career growth, hobbies, social life - they need to look after the baby. For the sake of his he alth, they are adjusting to a new way of life.
Diagnosis
It is carried out by a child psychotherapist. Although initially parents bring their child to a pediatrician or neurologist. This happens, as a rule, at a time when the baby begins to lose previously acquired skills.
Geller's syndrome is rarely suspected, which is why the examination begins with a visual examination and general tests. The doctor is trying to identify the presence of a brain injury, tumor, epilepsy.
But, of course, he does not find confirmation of these diseases, and therefore the baby is sent to a child psychotherapist.
How is the examination done?
It all starts with a conversation. The doctor interviews the parents, trying to understand the characteristic features of the course of the disease. The following nuances are being clarified:
- A period of proper development.
- Regression of two or more spheres.
- The collapse of existing features and how progressive it is.
- Motor impairment,language, gaming, everyday and social skills.
Then the surveillance begins. The specialist must record the characteristics of the child's behavior and his emotional reactions.
Many, by the way, the question arises: "Geller's syndrome - is it autism or not?". In fact, this disease cannot be called that. But this pathology is characterized by hyperactivity in combination with known autistic manifestations. So partly yes.
The final stage of diagnosis is psychological testing. The doctor checks the child's intellectual abilities, resorting to methods appropriate to the age of the patient, the depth of the defect, and the ability to establish and maintain productive contact. Commonly used are the Wechsler and Raven test, as well as the pyramid and box shapes.
Principles of Therapy
Treatment of Heller's syndrome has a common direction with those activities that are aimed at correcting early autism. The greatest attention is paid to intensive procedures at the very beginning of the development of pathology.
The basis of all methods is a behavioral approach, since they have a very high degree of structure. How effective drug treatment is is not clear. However, drugs are still used at an early stage, since only they can stop severe behavioral disorders.
The rest of the approach is individual. Parents, doctors, special teachers andpsychologists.
What does the treatment include?
Three methods involved:
- Measures of corrective and developmental orientation. Thanks to them, it is possible to slightly restore speech and intellectual functions, correct emotional disorders. The child can learn to cooperate, to accept help, to give it to others.
- Psychotherapy and family counseling. It is very important to work with parents. Its goal is to teach them how to care for a child, inform them about the specifics of the disease, and notify them about prognosis. It is important that parents meet with other families with Geller syndrome. This will help them ease the feeling of social isolation, get at least some emotional support and understanding.
- Rehabilitation. It is carried out by professional teachers who help the child to form practical skills. He learns to dress, wash, wield cutlery, write, draw, make crafts from plasticine. Also, teachers help to correct behavioral and emotional deviations. The child becomes more attentive, assiduous.
Forecast
Unfortunately, he is unfavorable. Lost skills are either lost forever, or are restored extremely slowly, and then not completely.
If intensive care is started early, there is hope that the child will learn to express himself in elementary phrases and take care of himself in everyday life. This result is observed in 20% of patients. They even become socially active. itpleases, but the fact that preventive measures have not yet been developed upsets.
