Abstract
The term dual-diagnosis refers to a person with mental retardation and a psychiatric disorder. Most children with Down syndrome (DS) do not have a psychiatric or neurobehavioral disorder. Current prevalence estimates of neurobehavioral and psychiatric co-morbidity in children with DS range from 18% to 38%. We have found it useful to distinguish conditions with a pre-pubertal onset from those presenting in the post-pubertal period, as these are biologically distinct periods each with a unique vulnerability to specific psychiatric disorders. Due to the increased recognition that psychiatric symptoms may co-occur with mental retardation, and are not inextricably linked to cognitive impairment, these conditions are considered treatable, in part, under a medical model. Improvement in physiologic regulation, emotional stability, and neurocognitive processing is one of the most elusive but fundamental goals of pharmacologic intervention in these disorders.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 158-172 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | American Journal of Medical Genetics, Part C: Seminars in Medical Genetics |
Volume | 142 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 15 2006 |
Keywords
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- Autistic spectrum disorder
- Disruptive behavior disorder
- Down syndrome
- Dual-diagnosis
- Neurobehavioral disorder
- Oppositional defiant disorder
- Pervasive developmental disorder
- Psychiatric disorder
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Genetics
- Genetics(clinical)