Skip to main content
Log in

Sex Chromosome Abnormalities in Two State Hospitals for Patients requiring Special Security

  • Letter
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

Abstract

THE association between sex chromatin abnormality and mental sub-normality is well established. The incidence of sex chromatin abnormality in the new-born male and female population is about 0.2 per cent and 0.08 per cent respectively; in institutionalized mentally sub-normal male and female populations about 1 per cent and 0.4 per cent respectively. Court Brown1 reported that a high proportion of sex chromatin positive males recognized in his unit had been committed to a mental defective institution because of anti-social behaviour. He suggested that an abnormal sex chromosome complement might predispose to delinquency. However, a survey by Wegman and Smith2 on a group of socially disturbed males of relatively normal intelligence failed to show an increase in sex chromatin abnormality.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Court Brown, W. M., Lancet, ii, 508 (1962).

  2. Wegman, T. G., and Smith, D. W., Lancet, i, 274 (1963).

  3. Forssman, H., and Hambert, G., Lancet, i, 1327 (1963).

  4. Barr, M. L., Evelyn, L. Shaver, Carr, D. H., and Plumkett, E. R., J. Ment. Defic. Res., 4, 89 (1960).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ferguson-Smith, M. A., Acta Cytol. Symp. Sex Chromatin, 73 (1962).

  6. Mosier, D., Scott, L. W., and Cotter, L. H., Pediatrics, 25, 291 (1960).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Miller, O. J., Amer. J. Obstet. Oynaecol., 90 (No. 7) Pt. 2, 1121 (1964).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ferguson-Smith, M. A., Lancet, i, 928 (1958).

  9. Shapiro, A., and Ridler, M. A. C., J. Ment. Defic. Res., 4, 48 (1960).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Maclean, N., Mitchell, J. M., Harnden, D. G., Williams, J., Jacobs, P. A., Buckton, K. A., Baikie, A. G., Court Brown, W. M., McBride, J. A., Strong, J. A., Close, H. G., and Jones, P. D., Lancet, i, 293 (1962).

  11. De la Chapelle, A., J. Ment. Defic. Ees., 7, Pt. 2, 129 (1963).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Breg, W. R., Castilla, E. E., Miller, O. J., and Cornwell, J. G., Soc. Pediat. Res. (abest.), 63 (No. 4) Pt. 2, 738 (1963).

    Google Scholar 

  13. Anderson, I. F., Goeller, E. A., and Wallace, C., South Afr. Med. J., 38 (No.17), 346 (1964).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Fraser, Jean H., Campbell, J., MacGillivray, R. C., Boyd, E., and Lennox, B., Lancet, ii, 626 (1960).

  15. Johnston, A. W., Ferguson-Smith, M. A., Handmaker, S. D., Jones, H. W., and Jones, G. S., Brit. Med. J., ii, 1046 (1961).

  16. Ridler, M. A. C., Shapiro, A., and McKibben, W. R., Brit. J. Psychiat., 109, 390 (1963).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Maclean, N., Harnden, D. G., Court Brown, W. M., Bond, J., and Mantle, D. J., Lancet, i, 286 (1964).

  18. Barr, M. L., Carr, D. H., Soltan, H. C., Wiens, R. G., and Plunkett, E. R., Canad. Med, Assoc. J., 90, 575 (1964).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Bray, P. F., and Josephine, A., J. Amer. Med. Assoc., 63, No. 61207 (1963).

  20. Court Brown, W. M., Harnden, D. G., Jacobs Patricia, A., Maclean, N., and Mantle, D. G., M. R. C. Special Report, No 305.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

CASEY, M., SEGALL, L., STREET, D. et al. Sex Chromosome Abnormalities in Two State Hospitals for Patients requiring Special Security. Nature 209, 641–642 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/209641a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/209641a0

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Navigation