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Mental retardation
- below-average general intellectual function and a lack of skills necessary for daily living
- deficits in social, motor and language skills and adaptive functioning compared to age-related peers
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Causes of mental retardation
- infection (present at or occurring after birth)
- chromosomal abnormalities
- environmental (deprivation syndrome or toxins)
- inherited metabolic disorders
- malnutrition
- trauma
- idiopathic
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Autistic disorder
- deficits in reciprocal language and social interactions
- characterized by repetitive behaviors
- affects 3.4 in 1000
- affects boys 3-4x more often than girls
- includes Asperger's syndrome
- causes unknown
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Treatments of autistic disorder
- applied behavior analysis
- medications (antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics)
- occupational therapy
- physical therapy
- speech-language therapy
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Tic
- sudden, rapid and involuntary movement or vocalization
- may be temporarily suppressed by conscious effort
- more common in boys than girls
- exacerbated by stress, anxiety, boredom and/or fatigue
- symptoms range from mild to severe
- three types classified by duration and severity
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Transient tic disorder
- presence of one or more tics for at least a month but less than one year
- majority of tics seen in this disorder are motor tics, though vocal tics may also be present
- usually does not require treatment
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Chronic motor or vocal tic disorder
- presence of one or more long-lasting tics that last for a year or more
- may be either motor or vocal, but not both
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Tourette's syndrome
- most sever form of tic disorders
- presence of both motor tics and vocal tics
- severity changes over time with periods of reduced tic frequency followed by heightened tic activity
- may improve with age
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Treatment of tic disorders
- dopamine receptor antagonists
- antipsychotics
- botulinum toxin type A injections
- electrical brain stimulation using permanently implanted electrodes
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Dementia
- degenerative state characterized by deficits in memory, language and/or mood
- two types: Alzheimer's and vascular
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Vascular dementia
- poor nutrition (from alcoholism)
- hypertension
- diabetes
- stroke
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