Russian scientists from the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU) and the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences studied disorders of brain rhythms in patients with Rett syndrome. The data obtained will help diagnose the disease and evaluate the effectiveness of drug therapy, the press service of the “Priority 2030” program of the Russian Ministry of Education and Science told socialbites.ca.
Rett syndrome is a neuropsychiatric hereditary disease that causes severe mental retardation. It is seen in girls. Patients have seizures and respiratory system problems, as well as the ability to control speech, thought processes, and movements. Today, the syndrome is incurable, so its carriers find themselves in a state of profound disability. In addition, it is very difficult to diagnose in the early stages, since intrauterine development, birth and the first months of the child’s life usually proceed without complications.
Researchers from IKBFU Kant compared the brain activity of 61 children aged 3 to 17, both healthy and diagnosed with Rett syndrome.
Scientists found that the strength of the gamma range, which is responsible for memory, sleep and attention, increased in the frontal, central and temporal lobes of the patients’ brain. This indicates an imbalance between the activity of neurons and their inhibition, which is reflected in the impairment of mental abilities.
“Our results show pathological changes in brain function that accompany the development of the disease. The measured EEG parameters make it possible to distinguish groups with 92% accuracy, which demonstrates the clinical significance of the data presented.” – project leader IKBFU professor Alexander Khramov told socialbites.ca.