Pneumoencephalographic and clinical findings of the XYY syndrome

Abstract
Adult human patients [5] with this syndrome were studied clinically and pneumoencephalographically. Clinical manifestations included delayed difficulties of speech and learning, clumsiness, mild intention tremor, muscular hypotonia, convulsions, hyperactivity, distractibility, impulsiveness, weak mental control, psychosexual disturbances and a slight defect of intelligence. All 5 had committed crimes. Pneumoencephalograms showed general ventricular enlargement of mild or moderate degree. The enlargement of lateral ventricles was unilateral or asymmetrically bilateral. The suprapineal recess of the 3rd ventricle was uniformly enlarged. Small cerebellum and enlarged 4th ventricle were the abnormal findings in the posterior fossa. No cortical abnormalities were found. A slight non-progressive developmental disorder of the brain resembling the so-called minimal brain dysfunction syndrome. The XYY syndrome appears to be 1 cause of the male preponderance in minimal brain dysfunction syndrome and criminal psychopathy.