Minimal cerebral dysfunction is a neuropsychic disorder resulting from mild central nervous system damage. These disorders are caused by the course of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as various infections and lack of care during infancy.
The picture of disorders with minimal cerebral dysfunction is very diverse and changes with age, as a rule, its manifestations increase towards primary school age. Minimal cerebral dysfunction in children can affect the appearance of a change in the structure of the facial bones of the skull, in the incorrect formation of the skeleton of the oral cavity, and muscle asthenia of the tongue, which can lead to speech development problems. Loss of muscle tone, the presence of pathological reflexes are likely . From vegetative reactions, excessive sweating, salivation are noted. Children with minimal cerebral dysfunction are distinguished by motor disinhibition, hyperactivity, they are subject to frequent changes in moods. Psychologists working with children with a history of minimal cerebral dysfunction note that these children have auto-aggression, susceptibility to anger, and rage. Among psychological disorders, social immaturity should be noted, which is expressed in the desire to play and communicate with younger children. Such children are distinguished by disturbances in the process of falling asleep and sleeping: the dream is shallow, intermittent, in a dream children can cry out. As noted above, children with MMD have problems with learning at school (some of them are difficult to “give” computational actions, others have problems with error-free writing, and others have a spatial orientation).
Disorders with minimal cerebral dysfunction:
- Minimal cerebral dysfunction with hyperactivity due to attention deficit. Such children are characterized by a high threshold of excitability, impulsivity. They are distinguished by a high level of aggressiveness, a decrease in concentration and randomness of attention;
- Minimal cerebral dysfunction with hypoactivity due to attention deficit. These children are distinguished by lethargy, lethargy, decreased concentration of attention;
- MMD associated with impaired motor skills, coordination of movements;
- MMD associated with imperfect spatial orientation;
- MMD, manifested in a violation of speech development.
Negative factors of intrauterine development can also affect adolescence, expressed in a tendency to use drugs and alcohol, asocial behavior, a tendency to early sexual intercourse.
Minor cerebral dysfunction manifests itself in the form of psychomotor excitability, a mild degree of distraction, and vegetative instability. In 70% of children with small minimal dysfunction, the disorders go away with minimal drug intervention. The remaining 30% have difficulty learning at school.
According to the encephalopathic type, MMD is characterized by focal lesion of the NS, expressed in the underdevelopment of higher cortical functions. These children are characterized by specularity in writing, difficulties with recognizing “right” - “left”, poor speech memory. Only a third of children with this type of MMD have a favorable compensatory prognosis.
During infancy, children with MMD are distinguished by increased irritability, sleep disturbance, chin and limb tremors. At a later time, they are characterized by backwardness in psycho-speech development, disinhibition, and difficulties in general motility. Very often enuresis develops. As a rule, such manifestations with adequate treatment go to 5 years. If until this age the manifestations are not compensated, then by the beginning of schooling they may increase, the child will need the help of specialists.