What is Geller’s Syndrome (Symbiotic Psychosis, Childhood Dementia, Geller-Zappert Disease)?
Rapidly progressing dementia in young children (after a period of normal development) with a distinct loss of acquired skills over the course of several months, with the appearance of anomalies in social, communicative or behavioral functioning.
Causes of Geller Syndrome (Symbiotic Psychosis, Childhood Dementia, Geller-Zappert Disease)
The causes of the disorder are not clarified. The prevailing idea is the presence of the organic nature of the disease.
Symptoms of Geller’s Syndrome (Symbiotic Psychosis, Childhood Dementia, Geller-Zappert Disease)
After a period of normal development up to 2-3 years for 6-12 months. total dementia is formed. Often there is a prodromal period of an obscure disease: the child becomes wayward, irritable, anxious and hyperactive. Speech becomes impoverished and then disintegrates. Previously acquired behavioral, gaming and social skills are lost. Losing control of bowel and bladder function. Interest in the environment is lost, stereotypic motor actions are characteristic. The deterioration over the course of several months is followed by a plateau state, then a slight improvement can occur. The disorder is often combined with a progressive neurological condition, which is usually encoded separately.
The prognosis of the disease is unfavorable. Most patients remain with severe mental retardation.
Diagnosis of Geller Syndrome (Symbiotic Psychosis, Childhood Dementia, Geller-Zappert Disease)
The disorder resembles adult dementia, but differs in 3 aspects: 1) there is no evidence of recognized organic disease or damage; 2) the loss of acquired skills may be accompanied by a certain degree of recovery and restoration of functions; 3) communication disorders are of a nature similar to autism, and not with intellectual decline.
Differential diagnosis
Carried out with autism, early childhood schizophrenia. Geller’s syndrome is characterized by general mental devastation.
Treatment of Geller’s Syndrome (Symbiotic Psychosis, Childhood Dementia, Geller-Zappert Disease)
Mostly symptomatic. It includes three areas: treatment of behavioral disorders and neurological disorders; social and educational services activities; family assistance and family therapy.
There is no data on the effectiveness of any form of drug therapy, with the exception of short-term treatment of behavioral disorders. (There are reports that the disorder is caused by a “filtering virus”, and the specificity of the clinic is related to the age characteristics of the lesion)