[Characteristics of the amino acid spectrum of the blood of children with intellectual deficiency]. / K kharakteristike aminokislotnogo spektra syvorotki krovi detei s intellektual'noi nedostatochnost'iu.

The amino acid spectrum of blood serum was examined in 10 mentally normal children and 84 children aged 7-11 years (predominantly boys) with different degrees of intellectual deficiency (borderline intellectual deficiency, oligophrenia in the degree of debility) complicated by syndromes of motor disinhibition and torpor. Deviations in the levels of free amino acids in mentally retarded children were not very marked as is the case with hereditary enzymopathies. Most of the children had high blood concentrations of asparaginic acid and ammonia. The authors believe that children with acquired changes in the processes responsible for disposal of ammonia may be referred to a group of risk with regard to intellectual insufficiency. The results are discussed from the viewpoint of the correlation between dicarboxylic amino acids metabolism and the cycle of urea and polyamines synthesis.

[Effect of nootropic agents on serum biochemical indices in intellectually deficient children]. / O vliianii nootropov na biokhimicheskie pokazateli syvorotki krovi u detei s intellektual'noi nedostatochnost'iu.

It was shown that a marked therapeutic effect or its absence in the piracetam and nootropil treatment of children with different degrees of mental retardation is largely determined by the presence in patients' metabolism (before treatment) of certain combined changes in the general activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and its isoenzymic spectrum with regard to the ratio between aerobic and anaerobic subunits. Experimental studies on rats support the necessity of taking into account patients' metabolism when prescribing nootropic agents. It is suggested that considering LDH changes (along with the clinical condition of patients) may be of prognostic significance in the efficacy assessment of treatment with nootropic drugs.

[Correlations between biological and clinical indices in children with intellectual deficiencies]. / K voprosu o korreliatsiiakh biologicheskikh i klinicheskikh pokazatelei u detei s intellektual'noi nedostatochnost'iu.

Some biochemical and electrophysiological parameters were examined in 20 intellectually-defective children with a history of pre- and perinatal damages. Certain correlations between the character of EEG changes, the level of amino acids in the peripheral blood, and the efficacy of treatment with drugs acting upon metabolism were discovered. A marked slow-wave activity was observed on the EEG in the group of patients whose clinical course was the most unfavourable: this activity coincided with an elevated level of methionine (the source of the methyl groups in acetylcholine biosynthesis) in the peripheral blood. The therapeutic effect was the most marked in children with paroxysmal EEGs: this was accompanied in them with an increased content of functional amino acids. The data obtained are important for a more differentiated approach to the therapy of mentally retarded patients.

[Change in the free amino acid concentration of the developing brain under the influence of antenatal hypoxia]. / Izmenenie kontsentratsii svobodnykh aminokislot razvivaiushchegosia mozga pod vliianiem antenatal'noi gipoksii.

Concentration of free amino acids was studied in various parts of brain (hemisphere, brain stem) of 14- and 30-days old rats with antenatal hypoxia. In hemispheres of 14-days old rats concentrations of 5 amino acids were altered, in the brain stem content of 3 amino acids was altered. In the pool of free amino acids of the 30-days old gats content of 7 amino acids was altered in hemispheres and content of 9 amino acids - in the brain stem. More rapid accumulation of cystathionine in hemispheres and of glycine in the brain stem was observed in animals with antenatal hypoxia. In these conditions accumulation of glutamic acid in hemispheres and of taurine - in the brain stem was retarded as compared with control animals.

[The content of free amino acids in the blood of children with intellectual disorders]. / Soderzhanie svobodnykh aminokislot v krovi detei s narusheniiami intellekta.

Measurements of the concentrations of free amino acids in blood of children with intellect deficiency whose parents suffered from alcoholism showed an imbalance of some amino acids.