Fragile-X Syndrome: Diagnosis and Research

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Fragile-X syndrome, first described in 1969, is named for a chromosomal anomoly now known to be a significant cause of mental retardation in males. An X-linked characteristic, fragile-X syndrome is estimated to affect 1 in every 1,000 births and thus is almost as prevalent as Down syndrome. This pattern of inheritance suggests that identification by psychologists of persons with attributes associated with the disorder could lead to identification of affected families and offer opportunity for contribution to research in the area. However, a survey at the 1983 American Psychological Association convention revealed that psychologists in general are unaware of fragile-X syndrome. In addition, a critical review of the fragile-X syndrome literature suggests that studies generally have been poor in quality and have yielded inconclusive findings. A review of studies addressing factors associated with fragile-X syndrome is presented and several areas of research to which psychologists could contribute are discussed.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: