NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL IMPAIRMENT IN 42 ADOLESCENTS WITH SEX-CHROMOSOME ABNORMALITIES

Sixty-seven adolescents participated in this protocol, including 42 wi th sex chromosome abnormalities and 25 controls. Results from a batter y of neuropsychological tests indicated karyotype specific patterns of neuropsychological impairment: (1) 47,XXY boys had unimpaired intelli gence but reduced abilities in verbal fluency and reading; (2) 47,XXX girls experienced reduced general intelligence accompanied by impaired scores on individual tests of attention, concept formation, spatial t hinking, verbal fluency, and academic skills, while retention of memor ized information was a relative strength; (3) among the 45,X girls ave rage intelligence level was also reduced along with scores on tests of attention, concept formation, verbal fluency, spatial thinking, and a cademic skills, and an atypical pattern of hand dominance was identifi ed; (4) test scores in the group of mosaic females did not differ from those of controls. Test scores and patterns of personal adaptation we re quite variable in all groups; while eight non-mosaic propositi requ ired intensive special education assistance in their public schooling, eight others have attended college. (C) 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.