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Neurogenic atherosclerosis in mentally retarded persons
Author(s) -
CHANEY R. H.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
journal of intellectual disability research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.941
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1365-2788
pISSN - 0964-2633
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1987.tb01366.x
Subject(s) - proband , psychosocial , arteriosclerosis , population , medicine , autopsy , mentally retarded , cerebral arteriosclerosis , disease , psychology , psychiatry , pediatrics , developmental psychology , biochemistry , chemistry , environmental health , mutation , gene
. The question is raised whether arteriosclerosis (AS) may be induced in man by chronic central nervous system injury. In an institutionalized population of mentally retarded children, more AS than expected was observed. Of 1173 residents with detailed clinical and autopsy records over 40 years, 78 of them, aged 1–21 years, showed mild to moderate coronary or aorta AS. Thirty control subjects without AS, matched for sex, age and IQ, were studied in comparison. In 65 of the probands, the condition could not be explained by predisposing diseases or known risk factors. There were more lesions in those with convulsive disorder; this was felt to reflect arterial changes due to neuronal‐sympathoadrenal hyperactivity. In addition, more disease occurred in physically restricted patients; this appeared related to the stress of handicap and inability to respond to psychosocial needs. It is concluded that certain areas of brain defect predispose to atherogenesis. Down's syndrome provides a different set of influences on AS, yet the frequency of AS in these patients was similar to that of non‐Down's.