Question
Patient Gender: Question Description: My friend’s child has recently been diagnosed with mild intellectual disability. I want to know if it can be treated, as they are both very distressed.
Answer
Disease Introduction: Intellectual disability refers to a significant intellectual impairment below the average level during the growth period (under 18 years old), defined as less than two standard deviations below the mean, -70, accompanied by social adaptive behavior defects. Mild intellectual disability is the mildest category among them, with an IQ range of 55 to 69. Most patients with intellectual disability fall into this category, and it is largely a matter of education and management, with a lot of work being done by the education and civil affairs departments. The medical department mainly deals with severe cases and those with physical or mental comorbidities, while providing consultation to the education and civil affairs departments. Currently, there is a lack of statistical data on the prevalence of mild intellectual disability in our country. Pathogenesis: In terms of causes, it can be divided into environmental factors (lack of education) and individual factors (brain diseases), and most patients with intellectual disability are the result of the interaction of these two factors. For patients with mild intellectual disability, the evidence for brain diseases is more substantial. Many studies have shown that normal intelligence is determined by multiple genes, and many mild intellectual disabilities represent the lower end of the intelligence distribution curve. However, some abnormal genes can lead to intellectual disabilities through metabolic disorders and other abnormalities. The main psychological and social factors causing intellectual disability include low socioeconomic and cultural levels, overcrowded housing, and unstable family environments.