title: Major depressive disorder as a prominent but underestimated feature of fragile X syndrome.
abstract: Three unrelated institutionalized mentally retarded males with fragile X syndrome presented major depressive disorders. Their depressive moods were long unrecognized because of the difficulties in assessing depressive symptoms in mentally retarded individuals. The genetic implications of establishing the diagnosis of this common heritable X-chromosome abnormality and the therapeutic consequences of detecting the depression are emphasized. Fragile X [fra(X)] may be a genetic predisposition to neuropsychiatric disorders with a variable range of manifestations. The fragile X syndrome may be helpful as a biologic model for studying the relationship between specific genetic factors and biological forms of psychopathology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Genetics, John F. Kennedy Institute, Glostrup, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tranebjaerg
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Orum
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged