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.