Etiology and diagnosis of intellectual disability

Abstract:

Intellectual disability, occurring in 1%-3% of the general population, is a common disease of the nervous system in children. Since diverse genetic and environmental factors contribute to its pathogenesis, the etiological diagnosis of intellectual disability is challenging with respect to the selection of diagnostic tests. It is important to determine the etiology of intellectual disability for the assessment of prognosis, treatment and the family plan. This paper summarizes the research progress in etiology and diagnosis for intellectual disability and introduces the recommended clinical genetics diagnostic approach from the American Academy of Pediatrics.