Genetic Disorders Causing Mental Retardation

Scientists in the United States identified the genetic disorder that causes retardation or mental retardation and epilepsy. Disturbance of small segments of DNA code is missing, as revealed by the research team leader from the Faculty of Medicine, University of Washington Evan Eichler, also cause malformations, the abnormality of form or structure of organs.

Evan Eichler led the team consists of 33 researchers from the U.S., Italy and Britain to menscreening entire genomes of 757 individuals with mental retardation. Syndrome is still not known his name is associated with a small segment of DNA code found in one out of 330 cases of retardation with the causes that have not been clear. This syndrome is estimated to affect one out of 40,000 general population.

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Definition Mental Retardation

Mental retardation is an axis II disorder, is defined in the DSM IV TR as: (1) intellectual function below the average together with, (2) Lack of adaptive behavior, and (3) Happen before the age of 18 years. Criteria for mental retardation in the DSM IV TR are as follows:

(1) intellectual function is significantly below the average, an IQ of less than 70, (2) Lack of social adaptive functioning in at least two areas: communication, self care, family life, interpersonal skills, use of community resources, ability to take their own decisions, functional academic skills, recreation, employment, health and safety, (3) Happen before the age of 18.

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