Vegetative changes and their correction in children
The article describes specific features of functioning of the vegetative nervous system (VNS) and the meaning of its disorders for a child's organism. The issues of terminology and classification of disorders of the VNS are discussed; a brief review of approaches to non-medication measures and the main groups of drugs are presented. A detailed description of the results of the authors' own research work to evaluate the effect of a water-soluble form of coenzyme Q<sub>10</sub> on the basic values of the vegetative status in children aged 3-11 years is given. In particular, along with minimization of clinical manifestations (sweating, cephalgias, vegetative paroxysms, etc.), a considerable dynamics of the vegetative parameters that closely correlated with children's age was revealed. As was found, the use of the coenzyme Q<sub>10</sub> permitted to influence the quality of the vegetative provision of the body to a considerable degree. In children younger than 5 years the vegetative status is sufficiently flexible and has a faster and more considerable response to metabolic correction, acquiring some, apparently compensatory, excessiveness of regulation. A more marked stability of the vegetative tonus in children older than 5 years correlates with a greater lability of their vegetative reactivity. These specific features should be taken into account when adjusting the terms of therapy, and they apparently involve the need for further research of the optimal dosage of the drug used.