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Behaviour Patterns in Chromatin-positive Klinefelter's Syndrome of Sheep

Abstract

VARIOUS behavioural disorders have been reported to be associated with chromatin-positive Klinefelter's syndrome, in addition to the classical form of male sterility characterized by azoospermia and hypogonadism. Subnormal intelligence was first noted in patients with chromatin-positive Klinefelter's syndrome who were attending male infertility clinics1. Later surveys of mentally defective men in many countries have revealed a frequency of chromatin-positive Klinefelter's syndrome of 0.85 per cent. Ferguson-Smith2, summarizing these reports, pointed out that this incidence was four times higher than among the general population. He2 also recorded several claims that there are various behavioural disorders in patients with chromatin-positive Klinefelter's syndrome. These include delinquency, alcoholism, criminal tendencies and sexual deviations. As well as mental deficiency the common mental disorder known as schizophrenia was reported in many cases.

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KILGOUR, R., BRUERE, A. Behaviour Patterns in Chromatin-positive Klinefelter's Syndrome of Sheep. Nature 225, 71–72 (1970). https://doi.org/10.1038/225071a0

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