title: Enhanced manual and oral motor reaction time in young adult female fragile X premutation carriers.
abstract: A previous study reported preliminary results of enhanced processing of simple visual information in the form of faster reaction times, in female fragile X premutation carriers (fXPCs). In this study, we assessed manual and oral motor reaction times in 30 female fXPCs and 20 neurotypical (NT) controls. Participants completed two versions of the reaction time task; one version required a manual motor response and the other version required an oral motor response. Results revealed that the female fXPCs displayed faster reaction times for both manual and oral motor responses relative to NT controls. Molecular measures including CGG repeat length, FMR1 mRNA levels, and age were not associated with performance in either group. Given previously reported age and CGG repeat modulated performance on a magnitude comparison task in this same group of premutation carriers, results from the current study seem to suggest that female fXPCs may have spared basic psychomotor functionality.
authors.affiliation: NeuroTherapeutics Research Institute, University of California Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, 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: 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; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005260:Female; D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1 / Q000235:genetics*; D005600:Fragile X Syndrome / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D006579:Heterozygote; D006801:Humans; D009048:Motor Skills; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D051860:Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein 1; C497683:FMR1 protein, human