Genetic causes of mental retardation.

Ann N Y Acad Sci

Neurogenetics Research Center, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.

Published: December 2004

Mental retardation has been categorized into severe mental retardation where genetics plays a very important role and mild mental retardation, in which genetics in some instances plays a role but in which cultural factors also matter a great deal. The pathogenetic, clinical and behavioral characteristics of genetically determined disorders associated with mental retardation differ greatly-as exemplified by two genetic disorders that have been clarified recently, namely Rett syndrome and the Williams syndrome. In the work-up of the developmentally disabled child, previous studies have shown that genetic studies are of have great importance and high yield. Early biochemical diagnosis in newborn screening has tremendous potential and has been strongly supported by NICHD-the PKU story being so much part of what NICHD has done. We must gain a better understanding of structure/function relationships, which becomes more and more possible with neuroimaging. A better understanding of neural plasticity can lead to correction by early intervention.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1196/annals.1315.010DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

mental retardation
20
retardation genetics
8
plays role
8
better understanding
8
retardation
5
genetic mental
4
mental
4
retardation mental
4
retardation categorized
4
categorized severe
4

Similar Publications

This article identifies and offers a response to several problems that affect the quality of both clinical education and health care services. These matters are: that in clinical training and practice, health, as lived by patients (persons), is not properly considered, and is equated reductively with treating diseases/disorders; that health is seen through disease, and as restricted to a single model defined by an organism's meeting (or being returned to) biochemical or functional standards; that intellectual assumptions instilled in schools of Medicine and Psychology about realities pertaining to healthcare determine an understanding of chronic illness or life with chronic challenges focused on impairment and suffering, and not on the fuller experience of living with illness, disability or neuropsychological challenges that patients have as persons; that arts-based education reflects the same focus in understanding 'illness', and thus neglects giving attention to the creation of personal health states of those living with challenging or debilitating long-term conditions; that, consequently, the arts are instrumentalized to serve these predefined educational purposes, rather than allowed to inform clinical training through that which is intrinsic or more specific to them. As a way out of these limitations and as an illustration of how things could be done differently, Vincent Van Gogh's paintings of the Sunflowers are used as visual inspiration for how we could change the way we see, and construct new mental representations of 'health', 'chronic illness' or 'chronic challenges', 'patient as person' or even 'person as non-patient', 'the clinician's role' and 'the identity of clinical practice'.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) have shown promise in reducing amyloid precursor protein (APP) levels in neurons, but their effects in astrocytes, key contributors to neurodegenerative diseases, remain unclear. This study evaluates the efficacy of APP ASOs in astrocytes derived from an individual with Down syndrome (DS), a population at high risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods: Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) from a healthy individual and an individual with DS were differentiated into astrocytes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Expanding the clinical spectrum of 19p13.3 microduplication syndrome: a case report highlighting nephrotic syndrome and literature review.

BMC Pediatr

January 2025

Pediatric Internal Medicine, Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital, No.20 Yuhuangding East Road, Zhifu District, Yantai City, Shandong, 264000, China.

Background: Common clinical findings in patients with 19p13.3 duplication include intrauterine growth restriction, intellectual disability, developmental delay, microcephaly, and distinctive facial features. In this study, we report the case of a patient with 19p13.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Evaluating Sex Differences in Language Abilities Within Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Intellect Dev Disabil

February 2025

Manisha Udhnani, The Ohio State University; and Nancy Raitano Lee, Drexel University.

Down syndrome (DS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are two neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in language. Most studies do not consider the possible role sex differences may play in language profiles. Thus, the current study aimed to evaluate whether parent-reported structural and pragmatic language vary as a function of sex in youth with DS (n = 37), ASD (n = 106), and typical development (TD; n = 61).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Work Participation of Autistic Adolescents.

Intellect Dev Disabil

February 2025

Michelle Menezes, Jessica Pappagianopoulos, and Micah O. Mazurek, University of Virginia.

This study sought to compare frequency of paid work by autistic adolescents to paid work by adolescents with other neurodevelopmental disorders and typically developing adolescents, and to examine whether demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with autistic adolescent employment with data from 2016-2019 National Survey of Children's Health. Rate of paid work was significantly lower in the autistic group (22.01%) than typically developing (49.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!