Methods of treatment

Effective treatment of child’s psychomotor disorders is carried out in the Scientific and Therapeutic Centre of prophylaxis and treatment of psychoneurological disability (NTC PNI). The original method which allows addressing medicines precisely to the specific parts of the brain and the spinal cord is successfully used in the Center during 16 years. It is carried out according to a principle of metamerism (segmentary constitution) of a whole human body and its nervous system in particular.
The centre works under the direction of Professor Igor A. Skvortsov, PhD on the basis of a new highly effective method of treatment of neurological disorders and stimulation of functions of the central and peripheral nervous system. The specified method is complex and includes metameric therapy (needle-based/non needle-based), metameric drug-based massage, forced stimulation of locomotive system, visual and acoustical perception, and also other therapeutic methods.

Brain hydrolyzates are incorporated in microdoses as injections or without needles (using punctual microelectrophoresis or drug-based massage) into segmental zones of skin, muscles, connective tissue ligaments and periosteum, and also along the course of the basic nerves of extremities, neck and trunk. The original method of metameric drug-based massage, based on rubbing of bioactive agents (cerebrolyzate and others) into the segmental skin zones associated with the level of injury or dysfunction of the nervous system, was developed in the Center. The bioactive agents are transported through the skin by the means of special ointment and are stored in specific hypodermic depots. 

Hydrolyzates have the same effect as the growth factors. If incorporated as described, they are captured by the subtle nerve-endings and are delivered rather quickly (within the first hours) through the nerve fibers to the segmental nervous cells, witch are situated in the spinal cord and in the brain, exerting stimulating influence on them. They stimulate reorganization of the nervous cells and branching of axons and dendrites, leading to increase of their number and formation of new connections with other neurons. Here ability of neurons to the adoption of external signals sharply rises and so does the ability to learn and relearn.

However, for realization and transformation of this potential learning ability in concrete normative skills (locomotive, intellectual, speech, etc.) proper and persevering influences are needed. These influences are adopted and stamped by the brain as qualitatively new connections and abilities of nervous cells and centers. Among such influences there are imitating reconstruction of normal poses of a body, imitation of normal crawling and walking on full feet, special exercises for training various types of mental activity, logopedic lessons for simplification of forming of correct speech, light stimulation in the case of congenital insufficiency of vision and sound stimulation in case of congenital bradyacusia and so forth. Also in the Center there are some original approaches to the physiotreatment accented on influence on the certain segmental (metameric) zones of skin and muscles.

Instrumental methods of treatment in the NTC PNI are based on the same principle as the microinjections of brain hydrolyzates and growth factors. Various influences on the sensitive nerve-endings located in segmental zones of skin, muscles, vessels and periosteum, associated with the segments of the spinal cord and the brain which activity requires correction, are carried out.

Among such influences there are periosteal segmental (scleromerial) massage with application of the original massage stick (the method is developed in NTC PNI), dotty metameric microelectrophoresis and drug-based massage with bioactive substances, the vibrovacuum air massage, carried out by “LIDA” apparatus, skin massage with application of the original spiked rollers of the various sizes, treatment with Kuznetsov ipplicators, a segmental electrical stimulation of  skin and muscles with “Elean” and “Eleats” apparati, etc.

Metameric stimulation of a skin, muscles, vessels and periosteum provokes the sensitive nerve-endings of segmental nervous cells situated in them, sending to the segments of the spinal cord and the brain excess information which induces segmental neurons to activation and reorganization of their activity. The combination of metameric sensory stimulation and metameric microinjections of growth factors gives optimum therapeutic effect, providing conditions for development of normal skills and abilities (locomotive, speech, etc.).

The important place in our method, along with metameric stimulation, belongs to the influences which imitate normal functions for the patient. For example, for the patients with the spastic form of infantile cerebral paralysis, flexion contracture in hip and knee joints, extensoral placing of feet and the inhibited step automatism a team of a doctor, a masseur and a mother make an imitation of erect walking (and in the serious cases – of crawling). Imitations should be carried out 4-5 times a day for 20-30 minutes with steady persistence even in cases when the child neither sits and nor stands without assistance.

During the imitation of crawling the child is in horizontal position on the belly. Mother holds his body, while the doctor and the masseur in coordination move arms and legs of the child, as at four-footed walking animals do, with the prevalent footing on hands and knees. After plural sessions the child begins to make his own crawling motions, after that exercises should be continued with crawling on an inclined surface (under an angle in 30 degrees) downwards. If the child acquires an ability to creep on an inclined surface downwards, the angle of inclination should be gradually reduced to the horizontal plane.

After child masters the crawling ability, what is the evidence of the rehabilitation of the stepping reflex, training should be proceeded with the imitation of walking. Mother holds the child in erect position on a floor, ensuring the erect position of the head (preventing it from inclining forward) and pressing arms of the child extended along the trunk, while the doctor and the masseur are preventing the flexion contracture of legs in hip and knee joints and making with legs of the child slow stepping motions with the prevalent footage on the full foot and heel. While advancing step by step mother carries a body of the child forward, also trying to enhance the footage on the foot.

Also among there such imitations like the application of stepping or imitational electrostimulators of coordinated anti-spastic muscle motions (the original apparati are developed in NTC PNI), air-impulse suit “Pilot” (developed in the NTC PNI together with “Znanie” company), the apparati which help to compensate the locomotive coordination (“Stabilotest” and “Ataksitest” developed by the VNIIMP), the feedback device for training of hand motion, devices for stimulation of sight (the apparatus for stimulation of visual perception, developed in NTC PNI) and hearing (a synthesizer with individual selection of sound and musical stimulants), special psychopedagogical methods of correction of the higher mental functions associated with perception, accurate motility of fingers, speech, counting, writing, reading, painting, gaming, coeval social relations and so forth.

Thus, the method is based on the two major components: 1) stimulation of the growth potential of nervous cells by means of metameric incorporation of bioactive hydrolyzates; 2) normalization of the functioning of the nervous centers by means of constant sending them normative signals (locomotive, visual, acoustical, etc.), creating in the mind images of normal operation and perception.

The NTC PNI admits patients with:

• after-effects of prenatal or birth injuries of nervous system;
• after-effects of neuroinfections, traumas;
• any infantile cerebral paralysis;
• flaccid obstetric paralyses of extremities;
• paralyses of a facial muscles; facial pains;
• maldevelopments of acoustical and visual perception;
• mental deficiency;
• inattention, poor memory, decreased mental activity (especially in the preschool);
• maldevelopments of speech;
• infantile autism, autistic syndromes, behavior disorders;
• maldevelopments of psychoneurological functions with congenital anomalies of the nervous system, hereditary diseases and chromosomal syndromes.

If needed these special examinations can be carried out:

• computer electroencephalography and electroneuromyography;
• computer investigation of the invoked brain potentials;
• transcranial magnetic stimulation;
• computer neuropsychological brain mapping;
• computer research of the structure of the child’s psychoneurological functions development.

During many years of work more than 7 thousand patients were successfully cured in the Center of NTC PNI. Among them were patients with infantile cerebral paralysis and other neurological and mental maldevelopments, meningitis and encephalitis, various kinds of other neurological diseases. More than 16 thousand courses of treatment were carried out. On average each child has passed through 2-3 courses of treatment in the Center. During this time we managed to cure completely or greately improve condition of hundreds of children with infantile cerebral paralysis. Patients mastered the normal body posturing and walking with full-foot footage, flexoral tendention of the hip and knee joints were suppressed, skills of self-service were acquired, accurate motility of fingers was greatly improved, the complications of speech contacts and mental lag decreased. The best and the highest results are reached among children, who begin their treatment in the first 6-12 months of their life: in the majority of cases the child can be cured completely and may continue his development without essential lag from his coevals.

Application of the method allowed us to restore a coordination of motility not only at children with the cerebellar form of infantile cerebral paralysis, but also at patients with a congenital underdevelopment of a cerebellum which earlier was considered practically incurable. Another subject of our pride is the full regeneration of sight at some children with congenital blindness and of hearing at patients with a congenital bradyacuasia. Tens of children with an early infantile autism and other autistic syndromes are successfully treated with significant improvement of their mental health.

Remarkable improvements associated with our treatment are known at the adult patients after cerebral stroke and at patients with after-effects of various traumas and neuroinfections: the regeneration of locomotion, sensitivity and speech functions accelerates.

Treatment in a diurnal hospital of our Centre is carried out only together with mothers. Mother is the main assistant in a complex rehabilitation of a sick child. She should originate an optimum psychological climate, the generally positive emotional background and auspicious environment for the child, forming faith in convalescence inside of him. Unfortunately, the psychological state of the mother herself usually requires special correction as the serious illness of the child is a chronic psychodamaging situation for her. Special psychological examination of mothers and the analysis of their relationship with the child carried out in the Center allow to determine the character of deflections in the relations between them and correct them in the necessary way for the optimization of rehabilitation of the child. Duration of the course is 10 days of intensive treatment and concomitant procedures with a three-month interval between courses.

Thus, NTC PNI works on the basis of modern conceptions of pathogenesis of dysontogenetic neurological disorders and the new conceptual approach to the treatment of the motional and mental maldevelopments, which leading principle is the application of informational, metabolic and sensory triggers of neuron development, axodendrical branching and regenerating of functional systems. Strict topographical conditionality is ensured by the metameric influence, and also by selectivity and specificity of hydrolyzates effect on cerebral structures.

Exploration of the features of the structural and functional neuroontogenesis in conditions of the fetal or perinatal injuries of the nervous system has allowed us to develop new approaches to the rehabilitation of functions of motility, perception, communication and speech which differ depending on the age of the patient.

Our procedure includes everything best that is developed in this field in all rehabilitational establishments of the world.
During more than 16 years of Center’s work thousands of patients were treated. Among them there were some children in an extremely serious condition, which were turned down in many clinics, referring to the absence of trends. In our Center we helped them to gain the faith in the possibility of recovery. Not only Russian children are treated in our Center but children from CIS countries, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, USA, Vietnam and others. In 30 regions of Russia we have organized daughter centers, which are now successfully using our method.

The researches carried out by the scientists of the Center, allow us to constantly improve our method increasing the efficiency of the treatment of patients with various diseases of the nervous system. Results of 16 years of scientific work are presented in plenty of publications. 7 monographies on problems of  mental maldevelopments of functions at children; 7 releases of the multipronged Almanac "Recovery", dedicated to the actual problems of the children's neurology, psychology, modern conceptions of pathogenesis of dysneuroontogenetical disturbances, to new approaches in rehabilitational therapy of children with psychoneurological insufficiency; 10 thematic brochures with methodical guidelines for parents and specialists have been published. Publications of the Center are widely known all over the Russia and abroad.

For the developed methods 12 copyright certificates were received.