PhD Defence Maarten Otter

Keywords: Sex chromosome trisomy, Triple X syndrome, Behavioural phenotype, Future research hypotheses
 

"Triple X syndrome in adults: Cognitive, psychiatric and neuroanatomical profile"

Women have two X chromosomes. In a triple X syndrome (TXS), however, there are three. This concerns 1 in 1000 women. This dissertation describes psychiatric and neurocognitive characteristics of adult women with TXS, because until now, research had only been done on children and adolescents. Women with TXS do have a slightly lower IQ, but are not intellectually disabled. They more often have autism-like social limitations. They are also more vulnerable to developing anxiety disorders, depression, psychotic disorders, low self-esteem and a quarter have experience with suicidal thoughts. Women with social limitations are more vulnerable to this. They also develop more slowly in terms of their executive functions. All women with TXS have a reduced psychomotor speed and have difficulty focusing attention for a long time. Women with TXS are therefore an ideal research group for further research into the genetic background of the aforementioned limitations. However, this dissertation is mainly intended to support women with TXS. 

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