Syndrome specific approach in defining challenging behavior in persons with mental retardation

Abstract

Challenged behaviors are very common in persons with mental retardation and an estimated frequency of behavioral disorders vary significantly between 30% and 60% due to the differences in samples characteristics, accepted definitions and applied methodology. It is believed that behavioral disorders vary in accordance with age, intelligence and sex and they could be manifested in behavioral clusters. In the course of studying of syndrome specific behavioral phenotypes followed by mental retardation of known etiology some of the research projects are directed toward challenging behavior. These forms of behavioral manifestations in six different syndromes (Prader-Willi, Down, Williams, Smith-Magenis, Cri du Chat and fragile X) were presented. However, despite the fact that syndrome approach is very useful, the concept of behavioral phenotypes means just a higher probability for persons with certain syndrome to have some forms of the behavior or sequels comparing to those without that syndrome.

Poremećaji ponašanja su uobičajeni među osobama sa mentalnom retardacijom, a procene njihove učestalosti, u zavisnosti od karakteristika uzorka, prihvaćene definicije problema i primene metodologije, variraju između 30% i 60%. Smatra se da problemi u ponašanju mogu varirati u odnosu na uzrast, inteligenciju, pol, kao i da se mogu javljati u klasterima ponašanja. U okviru izučavanja bihejvioralnih fenotipa sindroma koji su praćeni mentalnom retardacijom, a čija je etiologija poznata, istraživanja su usmerena i na poremećaje ponašanja. U radu su prikazane specifičnosti ovih poremećaja kod šest sindroma: Prader-Vilijevog, Daunovog, Vilijamsovog, Smit-Magenisovog, sindroma "mačijeg maukanja" i sindroma fragilnog H hromozoma. Ipak, treba imati na umu da, iako se svrhovitost sindromskog pristupa ne dovodi u pitanje, koncept bihejvioralnih fenotipa podrazumeva samo povećanu mogućnost da će osobe sa određenim sindromom ispoljavati određeno ponašanje ili sekvele, u odnosu na osobe bez tog sindroma.