Home > Encyclopedia of Neurological Disorders > Rett Syndrome

Definition

Rett syndrome (RS) is a neurological disease of children that is also referred to as Rett's disorder or by the compound name of autism, dementia, ataxia, and loss of purposeful hand use. Named for the Austrian pediatrician who first described it, RS is sometimes grouped together with other childhood neurological disorders under the category of pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) or autistic spectrum disorders. RS is classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV), as a developmental disorder of childhood. More recently, Rett syndrome has been categorized along with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS), Coffin-Lowry syndrome...