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Studies in Oligophrenia II. Amino‐Aciduria in Mentally Deficient Children
Author(s) -
GELDEREN H. H. VAN,
DOOREN L. J.
Publication year - 1963
Publication title -
acta pædiatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/j.1651-2227.1963.tb04077.x
Subject(s) - medicine , incidence (geometry) , excretion , mentally retarded , mental deficiency , pediatrics , aminoaciduria , urine , intellectual disability , urinary system , physiology , psychiatry , psychology , developmental psychology , physics , optics
Summary Hyperaminoaciduria was found to be frequent in mentally deficient children in an institution for mental defects. Most of the cases with hyperaminoaciduria belonged to the group with imbecility and idiocy with familial incidence of mental retardation (genetic defects). In these patients mean amino‐acid excretion was significantly higher than in other patients and than normal. In the group of children with mental defects associated with multiple congenital malformations the incidence of hyperaminoaciduria is also increased. Possibly the cases with hyperaminoaciduria in this group are also caused by genetic disturbances, though familial incidence was not always found. In mild oligophrenics and children with perinatal or postnatal brain damage aminoacid excretion was within the normal range. The index αAmN × 100/tot.N was the most constant way of expressing aminoaciduria and obviated the necessity to collect 24‐hr samples of urine. This study indicates a much higher frequency of metabolic disorders in oligophrenia than the incidence of rare syndromes described up till now would suggest. The search for metabolic causes of mental deficiency can be restricted to the above‐mentioned groups.