Akira Morishima

Psychopathology and social functioning in women with Turner syndrome.

Turner syndrome (TUS) in women is associated with sex chromosome abnormalities, ovarian dysgenesis with estrogen deficiency, and short stature. The goal of this study was to assess the long-term effects of these sex chromosome and hormonal anomalies on psychopathology and social functioning. We report interview and questionnaire data concerning lifetime history of mental disorders and current psychiatric symptoms. Also reported are data from questionnaires and interviews evaluating social functioning as measured by education, occupation, personal resources, and sexual behavior. Twenty-three TUS women were studied and compared with 23 closely matched women with constitutional short stature (CSS) and with 10 normal sisters of the TUS women. TUS women reported generally less mental disorder and comparable rates of psychiatric symptoms. On the other hand, they had lower overall functioning on a measure of global psychological health and had more impairment in social functioning as measured by achievement of adult milestones. We conclude that TUS women display less mental illness by positive symptom-oriented criteria but also less mental health when day-to-day functioning is considered. Our data suggest that differences in TUS women cannot be explained solely by short stature and may be related to other psychosocial, genetic, endocrine, or CNS effects of the syndrome.

Cognitive Ability and Everyday Functioning in Women with Turner Syndrome

This paper presents results from an assessment of cognitive ability and everyday functioning in a group of adult women with Turner syndrome (TUS). Twenty-three TUS women were compared with 23 matched controls with constitutional short stature (CSS). A subgroup of 10 TUS women were compared with their nondisabled female siblings. On the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test-Revised (Wechsler, 1981), no significant group differences were found in Verbal IQ. There were significant group differences for Performance IQ and Full Scale IQ, largely due to specific deficits in the area of spatial and mathematical ability. These difficulties were also evident on the Benton Visual Retention Test-Revised (Benton, 1974). TUS individuals had significantly lower educational attainment than CSS controls but did not differ from their siblings. TUS individuals had significantly lower occupational attainment than the women in both comparison groups.

Psychosexual Quality of Life in Adult Intersexuality: The Example of Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia (CAH)

A fundamental aspect of the quality of life in adolescence and adulthood is psychosexuality. It comprises three interrelated aspects: (1) gender role behavior and gender identity; (2) sexual life, with its four components of sexual orientation, courtship, partner bonding, and genital sexuality; (3) reproduction and parenting. Intersexuality tends to affect all three aspects of psychosexuality. In this chapter, we will use data on the syndrome of classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) in 46,XX individuals with 21-hydroxylase deficiency as an illustrative example.

Errors of Chromosome Segregation Induced by Olivetol, a Compound with the Structure of C-Ring Common to Cannabinoids: Formation of Bridges and Multipolar Divisions

In a previous study, we observed an increased incidence of meta-phase nuclei containing less than 30 chromosomes (“micro-nuclei”) [6] in cultured human lymphocytes obtained from chronic marihuana smokers. In the same study, we reported that a similar increase in “micronuclei” could be induced in lymphocytes of non-smokers by adding Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) in a concentration of 6.4 × 10-6 M or olivetol in a concentration of 1.5 × 10-4 M to the culture medium. Olivetol, or 5-n-amylresor-cinol, has the C-ring structure common to all cannabinoids.

Growth Failure as the Presenting Symptom of Crohn's Disease

Short stature is a common symptom of Crohns disease in children, but it is rarely the chief complaint. We have encountered 5 patiȩnts whose major complaint was stunted growth and poor weight gain. Only one patient had moderately severe diarrhea, abdominal pain and weight loss, while the remaining patients exhibited mild abdominal symptoms elicited only by probing questions. Bone age was retarded in all. Sedimentation rate was elevated in 3 patients, and 4 had anemia. Small bowel series revealed typical findings of Crohns disease in all. Two patients had surgical treatment, and 3 received nutritional supplement and steroid therapy.

Effects Oxandrolone Treatment on the Linear Growth and the Predicted Adult Height

A total of 21 patients with linear growth retardation were treated with low doses of oxandrolone for a period of 8 to 41 months. Nine of the patinets had chromosomal disorders. The other 12 had no chromosomal abnormalities.

Abnormal electroencephalographic findings in “idiopathic” precocious puberty with a note on the suppressant effect of 6-α-methyl-17-α-hydroxyprogesterone acetate on gonadal function

ment directly about the bacterial flora. In so far as the comment about age and stool pH is concerned, there is no recognizable tendency. We originally thought that perhaps the state of nutrition--particularly when severe malnutrition was present--might influence the pH of the stool, but again there was no trend that was at all statistically significant so far as implicating age, or state of nutrition, or, really, anything else is concerned. Even chronic and acute diarrheas, for example, seemed to show no particular differences in relation to the stool pH.