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15 children and adolescents with impulse control disorders (mean age 12.9 years) were examined. These disorders were presented as dromomania, kleptomania, aggressive-sadistic actions, tricholillomania, pyromania; a combination of different types was observed in some cases. Schizophrenia was diagnosed in 7 cases, affective disorders--in 8 patients. Independently of the nosologic unity of the disease, development of the impulse control disorders took place in affective disorders which manifested either by monopolar course (depression) (11 cases), or by bypolar attacks with unclear outlines of the phases (4 patients). Psychopathology of impulse control disorders in children and juveniles was analogous to that of the adults, however, their structure wasn't so complex and development of the phases wasn't so clear.

Sequelae of severe trichotillomania initiating in childhood and adolescence were studied in 26 patients aged 21-32. A mean prospective follow-up lasted for 13 years. Thirteen patients were qualified as healthy. In the rest trichotillomania remained the main symptom of the illness, in 9 patients the progressive disease became the basis for secondary psychopathies, pathocharacterological personality of deficiency type. The following factors reliably affecting the prognosis were revealed: residual-organic origin of trichotillomania, intensity, generalization and polymorphism of the habit, persistence of the syndrome development, severity of vegetative component, late therapy start.

Altogether 110 children and adolescents aged 1 to 19 years with trichotillomania and its rudiments were examined. The given phenomenon is shown to be similar to the other forms of pathological habitual actions, especially to onychophagy. The author demonstrates the nosological nonspecificity of trichotillomania and a great role played in its origin of minimum brain dysfunction. Provides evidence for the concept of the biological nature of the phenomenon. Stresses the psychopathological heterogeneity of trichotillomania in different age groups with emphasis on the preservation of the common pathogenetic nucleus--the conditioned reflex fixing of the philogenetic behavioral models. Advances an opinion about the validity of singling out the definition "a pathological habitual action" as an independent psychopathological sign of certain varieties of trichotillomania.