Issues and Challenges in XYY Syndrome
Presentation slides from the 2017 AXYS Family Conference presentation:
Issues and Challenges in XYY Syndrome (PDF)
Presented by Erin Torres, Nurse Practitioner
Parents Advocate for Son’s Educational Needs
Date of Publication: May 2017
A couple in the U.K. are fighting to help their son with 47,XYY get what he needs to be successful in school. From the original article:
“Holly Mayatt, of Sandown Road, said her son Harry, who attends All Saints Junior Academy, is struggling more and more at school due to him not being given specialist provision which she has asked for.
Harry has XYY syndrome, a rare chromosomal disorder. Symptoms may include learning disabilities and behavioural problems such as impulsivity. He also has SPD (sensory processing disorder).”
Growing Up with XYY
Article Title: Unique – XYY
Authors: Unique – Rare Chromosome Disorder Support Group
Date of Publication: 2014
An article with general information about XYY Syndrome.
An excerpt:
“Approximately one boy in 1000 has XYY chromosomes. In the cells of their body, instead of 46 chromosomes including one X and one Y chromosome, they have one X and two Y chromosomes, making 47 in all. The impact of the extra Y chromosome is extremely variable.”
Findings from an XYY Study
Article Title: XYY Study Day Report
Author: Unique – Rare Chromosome Disorder Support Group
Date of Publication: 2008
“Families with a son with XYY – a single extra Y chromosome – met experts and researchers at a study day in Oxford, UK in April 2008. They heard what is already known from research conducted on boys and men with XYY who were identified in the 1960s and what is starting to emerge from a follow-up study of the development of children with an extra sex chromosome, launched last summer in the UK. This study will refine and update knowledge about boys and girls aged between 4 and 16 with Triple X, XYY and XXY (Klinefelter syndrome), and in particular what is known about their behaviour and learning.”
Brain Morphology in Children with 47,XYY Syndrome: A Voxel and Surface-based Morphomeric Study
Authors: Jean-Francois Lepage, David S. Hong, Mira Raman, Matthew Marzelli, David P.
Roeltgen, Song Lai, Judith Ross, and Allan L. Reiss.
Date of Publication: February 2014
From the abstract:
“The neurocognitive and behavioral profile of individuals with 47,XYY is increasingly
documented; however, very little is known about the effect of a supernumerary Y-chromosome on
brain development. Establishing the neural phenotype associated with 47,XYY may prove
valuable in clarifying the role of Y-chromosome gene dosage effects, a potential factor in several
neuropsychiatric disorders that show a prevalence bias towards males, including autism spectrum
disorders. Here, we investigated brain structure in 10 young boys with 47,XYY and 10 agematched
healthy controls by combining voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and surface-based
morphometry (SBM). VBM results show the existence of altered grey matter volume in the insular
and parietal regions of 47,XYY relative to controls, changes that were paralleled by extensive
modifications in white matter bilaterally in the frontal and superior parietal lobes. SBM analyses
corroborated these findings and revealed the presence of abnormal surface area and cortical
thinning in regions with abnormal grey matter and white matter volumes. Overall, these
preliminary results demonstrate a significant impact of a supernumerary Y-chromosome on brain
development, provide a neural basis for the motor, speech, and behavior regulation difficulties
associated with 47,XYY, and may relate to sexual dimorphism in these areas.”
Sex Chromosomes and the Brain: A Study of Neuroanatomy in XYY Syndrome
Article Title: Sex chromosomes and the brain: a study of neuroanatomy in XYY syndrome
Authors: Daniel M. Bryant, Fumiko Hoeft, Song Lai, John Lackey, David Roeltgen, Judith Ross, and Allan L. Reiss
Date of Publication: December 2012
“The results suggest that genetic variations associated with XYY syndrome result in increased brain matter volumes, a finding putatively related to the increased frequency of ASDs in individuals with this condition. In addition, frontotemporal grey and white matter reductions in XYY syndrome provide a likely neuroanatomical correlate for observed language impairments.”
An Extra X or Y Chromosome: Contrasting the Cognitive and Motor Phenotypes in Childhood in Boys with 47,XYY Syndrome or 47,XXY Klinefelter Syndrome
Article Title: An extra X or Y chromosome: contrasting the cognitive and motor phenotypes in childhood in boys with 47,XYY syndrome or 47,XXY Klinefelter syndrome
Authors: Judith L. Ross, Martha P.D. Zeger, Harvey Kushner, Andrew R. Zinn, and David P. Roeltgen
Date of Publication: 2009
“The results from these large XYY and KS cohorts have important neurocognitive and educational implications. From the neurocognitive standpoint, the presenting findings afford an opportunity to gain insights into brain development in boys with XYY and those with KS. From the educational standpoint, it is critical that boys with XYY or KS receive appropriate educational interventions that target their specific learning challenges. These findings also provide important information for counseling clinicians and families about these disorders.”
Comparing 47,XXY and 47,XYY boys
Title: An extra X or Y chromosome: contrasting the cognitive and motor phenotypes in childhood in boys with 47,XYY syndrome or 47,XXY Klinefelter syndrome
Authors: Judith L. Ross, Martha P.D. Zeger, Harvey Kushner, Andrew R. Zinn, and David P. Roeltgen
Date of Publication: December 2009
A research article on comparing the similarities and differences in boys with 47,XXY and 47,XYY from a neurocognitive testing standpoint.
ADHD Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidy: XXY, XXX, XYY, and XXYY
Article title: Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Children and Adolescents with Sex Chromosome Aneuploidy: XXY, XXX, XYY, and XXYY
Authors: Nicole R. Tartaglia, MD, Natalie Ayari, BA, Christa Hutaff-Lee, PhD, Richard Boada, PhD
Date of Publication: May 2012
Please share this article with your healthcare providers and with other professionals (therapists, school support staff and administrators, etc.).
Autism spectrum disorders in XYY syndrome: two new cases and systematic review of the literature
Article Title: Autism spectrum disorders in XYY syndrome: two new cases and systematic review of the literature
Authors: Lucia Margari, Anna Linda Lamanna, Francesco Craig, Marta Simone, Mattia Gentile
Date of Publication: January 25, 2014
“Abnormalities of the sex chromosomes (47, XXY, 47 XYY, 45,X/46,XY mosaicism) are frequently associated with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), but the male predisposition to these disorders has not been clearly explained. Previously, the role of the X chromosome was considered important in the ASD mainly because autistic symptoms were detected in genetic syndromes involving X chromosome (fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome). Instead, few studies have analyzed the possible role of the Y chromosome in the ASD.”