Fragile+X+Syndrome


 * Fragile X Syndrome**

__Causes__: Fragile X syndrome is caused by a mutation in the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome. The mutation prevents the production of the protein, FMR1, which is related to the development of neuronal connections in the brain. __Symptoms__: People with Fragile X syndrome are mentaly impared, they may be lightly impared, or severly impared, they can be hyperactive, and hyper sensitive they often have short attention spans. Physicaly they often have narrow, or long faces with promonent nose, ears, and foreheads they also often have loose joints. __Facts__: The reason that fragile x syndrome has it's name is that there is a break in the X chromosome, the break is where the FMR1 gene is. __Incidents__: Fragile X is common syndrome that causes mental retardation. The incidents is about 1 in 2,000 boys, girls have fewer incidents, they still have it, but they get it though milder versions. __Screening and Testing__: You can identify somebodies disorder only with a DNA test, approximately 1 in 260 women carry it. __Treatment__: There is no known cure for Fragile X syndrome, there are treatments though, there are drugs, and some think that early intervention and special education programs (speech, physical...) can be helpful.