Mental retardation (oligophrenia) is a group of conditions united by congenital or early acquired (up to age 3) mental underdevelopment with a predominance of intellectual deficit. In this chapter, we examine pathology that is non-progressive but requires competent medical and social adaptation.
The section is built around three key topics. First, we classify the depth of the deficit: we will analyze the degrees of mental retardation (from mild to profound) and their correlation with IQ levels. Next, we will cover the main clinical forms of oligophrenia caused by genetic abnormalities, intrauterine infections, or birth injuries. Finally, we will discuss the treatment of mental retardation, where the primary focus is not on pills, but on correctional pedagogy and symptomatic pharmacotherapy.
At seminars and exams, differential diagnosis is assessed most strictly: you must clearly understand how to distinguish oligophrenia from acquired dementia or transient developmental delay (DD). Also, be prepared to name the ICD diagnostic criteria for each severity degree—this is the foundation required to pass.