Consultation topic: “Astheno-neurotic syndrome in children” preschool educational institution

Astheno-neurotic syndrome in children is a common pathology of the nervous system, which occurs as a result of overwork and severe emotional shock. With neurasthenia, children look healthy, but tired.

Symptoms of astheno-neurotic syndrome in children are similar to the clinical manifestations of depression, vegetative-vascular dystonia, and chronic fatigue.

People who are far from medicine do not know what astheno-neurotic syndrome in children is and how to treat this disease. It is often difficult for parents to suspect a nervous system disorder in their child, since they attribute moodiness, fatigue, and tearfulness to the child’s character traits. As a result, instead of helping a child suffering from a neurotic disorder, parents scold and punish him, aggravating the situation.

Origin of the disease

The etiology of the disease can be genetic or acquired. The latter form is often provoked by previous injuries in the spine and can appear after severe psychological stress, constant worries and worries.

Astheno-neurotic syndrome in a 3-year-old child indicates a genetic basis for the disease. Melancholic temperament, which is inherited, is considered a weak type of nervous activity. It is in children with such a character that such pathology most often manifests itself.

It is possible that it was also observed in the baby’s parents. Then the treatment will take much longer.

In any case, if there is astheno-neurotic syndrome, the child needs the help of a qualified psychologist. It is also required for parents to help develop communication skills with a young patient. If astheno-neurotic syndrome in a child or adolescent is not isolated and complicated, then, as a rule, the prognosis of the disease is favorable.

Usually the child undergoes a course of treatment. The course changes every 3-4 months.

Stages of astheno-neurotic syndrome

The following stages are distinguished in the development of a neurotic disorder:

1. Hypertensive neurasthenia. At this stage, the patient experiences increased excitability and irritability, emotional sensitivity, decreased efficiency in performing mental or physical labor, absent-mindedness, girdling headache, and sleep problems.
2. Irritable weakness. The disease moves to the second stage if the patient ignored the initial signs of the disease and did not seek medical help. This stage is characterized by the fact that a person can no longer hide his irritability, his nervous system is quickly depleted. The patient cannot concentrate on the production or educational tasks facing him due to constant headaches and weakness in the body. A person feels overwhelmed in the morning.
3. Hyposthenic neurasthenia. If you do not see a doctor at the second stage, the disease develops into stage 3. The patient develops chronic fatigue, sad mood, apathy, and drowsiness. Psychosomatic disorders appear: skin itching, hair loss, brittle nails, pain in the spine and joints, decreased hearing and visual acuity, exacerbation of chronic diseases.

Causes of the disease

What are the causes of the disease? Astheno-neurotic syndrome in children can appear due to a number of circumstances.

The main factors include:

• genetic predisposition;
• hypoxia;
• intense mental and physical stress;
• frequent stress;
• disruption of brain metabolism, leading to a lack of certain substances;
• previous inflammation of the brain such as meningitis or encephalitis;
• traumatic brain injury;
• intoxication of the body with various substances that disrupt metabolic processes (medicines often act as toxic substances in childhood, especially if dosages are not followed);
• chronic liver and kidney diseases;
• pathology of the thyroid gland, which manifests itself in increased production of hormones that increase excitability;
• deficiency of B vitamins;
• negative social factors.

Modern ideas about the disease, knowledge of its causes and basic mechanisms of development make it possible to carry out effective therapy.

Changing the child’s lifestyle, which involves eliminating external causes that provoke the development of neurasthenia (social factors, mental or emotional overstrain), prevents the development of a functional malfunction of the child’s nervous system in the future.

Symptoms of the disease in schoolchildren

If in preschool age your baby did not give you any trouble, you will be surprised by the hysterics and whims of your grown-up baby. At the age of 7, neurosis reveals itself with vivid symptoms. You cannot treat your child by following the advice of friends or a herbalist grandmother. It is necessary to seek help from a pediatric neurologist.

The main signs of neuroses in school-age children:

• inability to concentrate on reading a book or doing household chores;
• short temper alternating with bouts of apathy;
• a cough that suddenly begins and stops in a child: with neurosis, children cough when they find themselves in an unusual or stressful environment;
• cardiopalmus;
• severe fatigue with a meager amount of intellectual and physical activity;
• decreased appetite.

Due to a neurosis-like condition, children's school performance worsens. The young patient's behavior becomes uncontrollable. A schoolchild can fall to the floor in hysterics and scream. Physical punishment or contemptuous remarks from parents will make the situation worse. Rigidity from relatives and teachers increases the fear of neurotics. Since neurosis is a continuation of fear, children must be protected from shocks.

During adolescence, the psyche of boys and girls is vulnerable. If a child is bullied in class, he may become withdrawn and suspicious. Increased mental stress, flu, and acute respiratory infections can cause neurosis in a teenager. Schoolchildren do not always share their experiences with their parents, so it is not easy for a mother to understand what is happening to her child.

Asthenia manifests itself with complex symptoms in adolescents. The following symptoms indicate neurosis:

• isolation;
• touchiness;
• anxiety that grips the student before each important event (exam, trip to another city);
• frequent mood changes;
• presence of phobias;
• a tendency to exaggerate his ailments - if your son is looking for various ailments in himself, this may be a symptom of neurosis in the child. A specialist will select a treatment strategy for the pathology.

Failure of the autonomic system

Manifestations of neurasthenia from the autonomic nervous system can mask the pathology of internal organs. How does astheno-neurotic syndrome occur in children?

The main manifestations include:

• unpleasant sensations and a tingling feeling in the heart area, these manifestations are most expressed during stress, mental and emotional overload;
• presence of tachycardia;
• increased sweat production.

Sometimes asthenia may be accompanied by a slight increase in body temperature to 37.5º C, especially if a malfunction of the central nervous system was caused by an increase in the production of thyroid hormones.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of asthenoneurosis is carried out using methods such as:

1. Interviewing the patient, collecting anamnesis. Identification of factors that provoked the disease. Comparison of data from a psychiatrist, neurologist and therapist.
2. Diagnosis of the condition of the patient’s internal organs using EEG, ECG, computer technology, radiography and ultrasound. Assessing the patient's reaction to bright light and various sounds. Assessment of the safety of reflex activity. Correlation of the current state of mental development of the patient with the average indicators of the age norm.
3. Laboratory diagnostics. A general blood test and biochemical examination of a blood sample can exclude the presence of various infectious, immunological, and hematological diseases in the patient.
4. Psychological diagnostics. Assessment of the level of voluntary attention, memory, identification of features of logical thinking. As a rule, in patients with asthenoneurosis, signs of fatigue appear after 10–15 minutes of examination.

The final diagnosis is made based on a comprehensive analysis of information about the patient and clinical symptoms. In some cases, consultation with related specialists is required to determine the patient’s neurological status.

Malfunction of the cerebral cortex

As for manifestations from the cerebral cortex, first of all, changes of a psychological nature should be included here.

Among them are:

• increased level of fatigue, fatigue does not give the child the opportunity to perform mental work;
• inability to sit still and concentrate;
• disturbances in the sphere of memory and attention (short-term memory suffers first, the child cannot remember information because he is not collected);
• altered emotional background of the child, which manifests itself in increased irritability, tearfulness and hot temper;
• sleep disturbances (the child cannot fall asleep for a long time and has difficulty waking up in the morning);
• frequent mood swings.

In general, astheno-neurotic syndrome in children has clear manifestations:

• hyperactive behavior of the child;
• decreased attention;
• capriciousness and disobedience.

The appearance of such symptoms should be a reason to contact a specialist who can determine a possible violation.

It should be noted that in childhood the signs of the disease are more pronounced than in adults. This is due to insufficient development of higher nervous activity. Sometimes the impetus for the development of neurasthenia is minor emotional or mental stress.

How else does astheno-neurotic syndrome manifest itself? Symptoms in children include general malaise. For example, while in transport, a child complains of motion sickness, nausea, and dizziness. Such a child often experiences fainting.

If we talk about the symptoms of neurasthenia in children of primary school and preschool age, then they often have enuresis. As the pathology develops, the child may complain of pain in the neck and eye twitching. The limbs may be cramped.

This symptomatology characterizes an advanced form of astheno-neurotic syndrome, when the parents did not take any radical steps for treatment. In this case, the child is characterized by hysteria and increased aggression.

As for the signs of the disease in schoolchildren and adolescents, they are expressed in the inability to concentrate. Such children experience difficulties both at school and at home.

In this case, parents should show maximum patience, not raise their tone at the child, and not punish him for mistakes and excessive nervousness. Punishment and speaking in a raised voice will only aggravate the situation and become fertile ground for the rooting of a psychological problem. In this case, the child may completely lose sensitivity and memory.

Disorder in a child 2–6 years old

It is difficult for parents to determine what disease causes apathy and tearfulness in a 3-year-old child. Neurosis in children manifests itself with contradictory symptoms. Successful treatment of the pathology is possible if the baby does not have severe damage to the central nervous system.

If your baby is often plagued by colds and viral diseases, and his appetite is reduced, there is reason to suspect that the baby’s mental reserves are reduced.

Fear in the presence of strangers and moodiness are symptomatic manifestations. The following symptoms in children will help recognize neurosis:

• restless sleep;
• urinary incontinence at night;
• outbursts of aggression, the child often raises his voice at older relatives, makes trouble with peers, breaks toys, it is worth showing the child to the doctor;
• motion sickness in transport; due to a neurotic disorder, young children may experience nausea and vomiting;
• increased sweating;
• cramps of the arms and legs;
• nervous tic;
• loss of interest in games.

If the parents of a preschooler ignored the above-mentioned symptoms and treatment was delayed, neurosis in children will begin to manifest itself as severe physical discomfort. An advanced disease makes itself felt by pain in the neck and arms. After physical exercise, your baby may feel dizzy.

Seizures sometimes occur in boys and girls aged 5 years. If neurosis debilitates a child with frightening symptoms, the preschooler will not be able to cope with the problem without treatment. A seizure is a condition when a baby hits his head against a wall or table, causing injury to himself.

How is the treatment carried out?

Many people are interested in how to treat astheno-neurotic syndrome in children. Therapy is complex. Treatment begins only after a thorough diagnosis of the causes of dysfunction of the nervous system. There are special tests to determine the level of disorders, instrumental diagnostic methods to identify possible pathologies in the brain or malfunction of internal organs (X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging, encephalography). Therapy includes general advice and treatment through medication and psychotherapy.

As a rule, drug therapy is complemented by gymnastics and physiotherapeutic procedures that are aimed at calming the nervous system. Among them, darsonvalization, electrosleep and hydrotherapy should be noted.

Diagnosis and treatment of neuroses in children

After a diagnostic consultation, a pediatric psychotherapist will determine the most optimal comprehensive treatment, taking into account the personality characteristics of your child - psychological, or possibly medicinal and psychological: these could be play activities with objects that help symbolically overcome internal conflict, activities using sand, in which the created fantasy “sand worlds” help the child to symbolically experience and process a psychologically traumatic experience that is subjectively and emotionally significant for the child, classes using biofeedback will help increase the level of emotional regulation, group psychotherapeutic classes (psychological theater of pantomime) will help the child to show the creative potential of his Personality, gain experience in safe interpersonal communication in a group, and other activities.

The specialist will also determine the need for family-parent consultations, help analyze family relationships and see something very important, something that cannot be seen while inside the family system.

General recommendations

How is astheno-neurotic syndrome eliminated in children? Treatment involves general measures, regardless of the reasons that provoked the onset of the disease in the child.

These include:

• staying in the fresh air, allowing you to saturate the brain tissue with oxygen;
• sufficient duration of sleep, which should correspond to the child’s age and be at least 8 hours;
• establishing a diet that includes a sufficient amount of essential vitamins;
• hardening;
• eliminating negative impacts on the child’s psyche;
• periodic change of impressions (trips outside the city, walks in nature with the family).

Following general recommendations will prevent re-exacerbation of neurasthenic syndrome in a child in the future.

Solutions to the problem

Authoritarian parents often confuse a student's mental problems with whims and attempts to manipulate. Instead of showing their child to a pediatric neurologist, the stern parent burdens the child with additional classes with a tutor and sets other, “successful” children as an example for the schoolchild. Advanced school neuroses lead to mental breakdowns in young patients.

Methods for treating neurosis in children:

• physiotherapy;
• darsonvalization;
• electrosleep;
• hydrotherapy - dousing and swimming have proven effective in the treatment of school neurosis;
• art therapy - drawing and modeling classes help relieve mental stress;
• baths with soothing herbs (lavender, mint);
• classes with a psychotherapist - parents whose children suffer from school neuroses are looking for ways to correct them; conversations with a psychotherapist will help you realize your fear and change your attitude towards the situation that oppresses you;
• folk remedies, a herbal mixture that includes mint and valerian, gently eliminates childhood irritability.

Vitamin complexes are almost always prescribed to patients aged 4–6 years. If neurosis bothers a child with mild symptoms, treatment of the pathology does not include taking sedatives.

Pronounced neurasthenia in children can be eliminated with the help of the following medications:

• tranquilizers - medications in this group relieve irritability and increased nervousness;
• nootropic drugs - normalize brain function, improve its nutrition;
• sedatives.

When deciding how to treat the neurosis of a 9-year-old child, the doctor takes into account the following circumstances:

• presence of chronic diseases (pyelonephritis, asthma);
• frequency of hysterics and seizures;
• the student’s ability to adapt to society.

When planning to treat neurosis, you must reduce to a minimum or completely eliminate traumatic factors. Heated arguments at home are something you should avoid. Otherwise, your son or daughter's mental state will not return to normal. If your child suffers from bullying by classmates, you should transfer your child to another school.

To ensure successful treatment of neurosis in children, do not ignore the advice of a psychologist:

• it is important to maintain adequate self-esteem; self-confidence is the best defense against mental instability;
• do not allow the baby to become overtired;
• the free time that the baby spends in nature with his parents has a beneficial effect on his nervous system.

Preventive measures

A balanced diet is an important condition for helping to overcome childhood neuroses. Their prevention and therapy includes the following measures:

• daily walks in the fresh air;
• hardening;
• breathing exercises;
• moderate physical activity.

Treatment with medications

How is astheno-neurotic syndrome treated in children? Treatment with medications is indicated for severe disturbances in the functional activity of the central nervous system.

As a rule, drugs that relieve excitability are used. They help normalize the functioning of the autonomic and central nervous systems. Atarax, Adaptol, Sedative and other means are used.

How to properly eliminate astheno-neurotic syndrome? Treatment with medications in children is carried out on a strictly individual basis. At the same time, the course may include drugs from other pharmacological groups in the presence of diseases of internal organs. Drug treatment can only be prescribed by a neurologist.

Treatment of astheno-neurotic syndrome

An integrated approach is effective in treating neurasthenia. The patient is prescribed a course of drug therapy, psychocorrective and psychotherapeutic sessions.

The main medications for the treatment of neurasthenia are tranquilizers, nootropics, sedatives, drugs to normalize blood circulation, amino acids, and antidepressants. In particularly severe cases, the patient is hospitalized.

Treatment with traditional methods

Astheno-neurotic syndrome in children is also treated with herbs. Below are some recipes that help relieve anxiety.

• Valerian. A tablespoon of plant roots is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 20 minutes. You should drink the infusion three times a day. The last dose is taken before bedtime.
• Motherwort. Two tbsp. spoons of dry herb are poured into a glass of boiling water and kept in a water bath for 15 minutes. The product is filtered and drunk twice after lunch and before bed.
• Herbal mixture, including mint, valerian, trefoil in equal proportions. A tablespoon of the mixture is poured into a glass of boiling water and left for half an hour. After straining, the product is drunk half a glass in the mornings and evenings.

The duration of herbal treatment is a month.

Treatment with psychotherapy

How to treat the disease? Astheno-neurotic syndrome in children can also be eliminated through psychotherapy. It is the basis for the successful treatment of nervous pathology. Depending on the severity of the dysfunction of the nervous system, different methods can be used.

Psychotherapy is a verbal intervention, during which factors traumatic to the psyche are identified, and the child’s attitude towards them changes.

Neurolinguistic programming is one of the methods of psychotherapy in which verbal modeling of a child’s attitude to a stressful situation is carried out.

Conducting individual or group trainings that make it possible to relieve phobias and improve social adaptation, especially when changing teams.

Psychotherapeutic techniques are selected on a strictly individual basis based on diagnostics. Provided that the therapy is carried out well, the prognosis for asthenic syndrome is favorable.

Consequences of ANS, forecasts

If such serious ataxia is neglected and there is no adequate and timely treatment, there is a chance of becoming seriously depressed, and in some cases, desires to end life may appear.

Basically, people during a period of disorder are quite able to get rid of it on their own. But it is very difficult to get out of a complication that has developed into deep depression without the help of a qualified specialist who will conduct an examination and prescribe a comprehensive course of treatment.

Not paying attention to the manifestations of dysphoria in children entails undesirable changes in the endocrine system and possible dysfunction upon reaching puberty. Adults who suffered such disorders in childhood may have certain problems with reproduction.

Rehabilitation activities

Astheno-neurotic syndrome in children, the causes of which are described in this article, manifests itself in the child’s aggression towards others. Such children are immediately noticeable in the team. They are conflictual, tend to offend others and speak to them in high tones.

Patients often cry, scream, and protest against their usual actions. For example, they may refuse to eat and throw a tantrum.

Such children are registered in kindergarten and school. They need the help of psychologists. Restrained behavior with them is recommended.

It should be noted that the treatment of astheno-neurotic syndrome is a complex and lengthy process, after which the child needs rehabilitation. This could be a lesson with a psychologist, introduction to applied work, aromatherapy.

The most important condition during the recovery period is the elimination of nervous overload and compliance with the work and rest regime.

Kinds

All neuroses are usually divided into two large groups: general and systemic.

Are common:

• obsessive-compulsive neurosis;
• neurasthenia (astheno-neurosis);
• hysterical neurosis.

The following forms of reactive states are distinguished separately:

• anxiety neurosis;
• depressive neurosis;
• hypochondriacal neurosis.

System:

• neurotic enuresis (unconscious urination);
• neurotic encopresis (fecal incontinence);
• neurotic sleep disorders;
• neurotic appetite disorders (anorexia);
• neurotic stuttering;
• pathological habitual actions (when a child sucks fingers, bites nails, unconsciously touches the genitals, plucks hair, shakes or nods his head, etc.).