title: Young adult female fragile X premutation carriers show age- and genetically-modulated cognitive impairments.
abstract: The high frequency of the fragile X premutation in the general population and its emerging neurocognitive implications highlight the need to investigate the effects of the premutation on lifespan cognitive development. Until recently, cognitive function in fragile X premutation carriers (fXPCs) was presumed to be unaffected by the mutation. Here we show that young adult female fXPCs show subtle, yet significant, age- and FMR1 gene mutation-modulated cognitive impairments as tested by a quantitative magnitude comparison task. Our results begin to define the neurocognitive endophenotype associated with the premutation in adults, who are at risk for developing a neurodegenerative disorder associated with the fragile X premutation. Results from the present study may potentially be applied toward the design of early interventions wherein we might be able to target premutation carriers most at risk for degeneration for preventive treatment.
authors.affiliation: NeuroTherapeutics Research Institute, University of California, Davis Medical Center, CA, USA. naomihunsaker@me.com
authors.forename: Naomi J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Goodrich-Hunsaker
authors.forename: Ling M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Yingratana
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: McLennan
authors.forename: Siddharth
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Flora
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tassone
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rivera
authors.forename: Tony J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Simon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D058068:Endophenotypes; D005260:Female; D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000235:genetics*; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D009154:Mutation; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
chemical_list: D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1; C497683:FMR1 protein, human