Childhood Disintegrative Disorder: A Century of Hellers’s Syndrome

Abstract

“Childhood disintegrative disorder” (CDD) now known, reported first as “dementia infantilis” by Theodore Heller in 1908, a century ago, and its research not kept pace with related disorders even though they reported late (autism first reported in 1943 and Rett’s syndrome in 1966). Presently, we have few data on epidemiological findings, onset, course, clinical features, very few etiological findings, established validity, and mainly non-pharmacological management with pharmacotherapy targeted for only behavioural control. Future research should focus on etiology and treatment. It is an attempt to review comprehensive the available literatures of CDD, at the end of a century from its first report.