Spatial cognition in males with Fragile-X syndrome: evidence for a neuropsychological phenotype

Cortex. 1999 Apr;35(2):263-71. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(08)70799-8.

Abstract

Spatial performance in a group of young Fragile-X syndrome males with FMR-1 full mutation was compared to a learning disabled control group comprising young Down's syndrome males and two control groups of mainstream schoolchildren. Performance was assessed across a wide range of spatial tasks including visuo-construction, visuo-spatial memory, visuo-motor, and visuo-perception. The findings indicate a task-specific rather than global deficit in spatial performance in Fragile-X males with visuo-constructive and visuo-motor skills most vulnerable. Molecular analysis of the lymphocyte DNA found minimal evidence for a correlation between CGG expansion size and spatial performance, although tasks with a visuo-perceptual component correlated negatively with expansion size indicating that the further away the number of repeats are from the 200 threshold the poorer the performance.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Cognition / physiology*
  • DNA / analysis
  • DNA / genetics
  • Down Syndrome / psychology
  • Fragile X Syndrome / genetics*
  • Fragile X Syndrome / psychology*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Intelligence / physiology
  • Male
  • Memory / physiology
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Phenotype
  • Space Perception / physiology*

Substances

  • DNA