Advances in gene discovery methodologies and the analysis of samples from large cohorts of families have rapidly increased our knowledge of the number of genes that cause mental retardation. To date, over 80 genes on the X chromosome have been identified where a mutation results in a syndromic or non-syndromic form of the disease. Although the X chromosome may harbour a disproportionate number ...

A 56-year-old mentally retarded Japanese woman (intelligence quotient: 49) was admitted to our hospital with the chief complaints of headache, dizziness, vomiting, and lower limb paralysis. Laboratory tests showed severe hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, hypomagnesemia, and hypocalciuria. These findings suggested a diagnosis of Gitelman's syndrome (GS). We examined the thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl ...

balance in these areas appears to be affected by the “move to the suburbs.” The figures on migration between States with common borders often reflect this type of movement. When, for example, roughly 1,400 aged beneficiaries moved from the District of Columbia to Maryland during the survey year and only 400 moved into that jurisdiction from Maryland, the result was a net, loss of 1,000 for the ...

Mental retardation(MR) was defined by the World Health Organisation as an intelligent quotient (IQ)<70 that is accompanied by adaptive limitations in two or more key skills areas, before the age of 18. General intellectual functioning is expressed by IQ. Typically, in chil‐ dren younger than 5 years old who present delays in the attainment of developmental mile‐ stones at the expected age, the ...

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, made applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. The U.S. Supreme Court has interpreted cruel and unusual punishment to include those that are excessive and not graduated and proportioned to the offense and those that do not consider the defendant’s degree of criminal culpability. In the case o...

Historical Perspective The plight of individuals with developmental disabilities has been dependent on the customs and beliefs of the era and the culture or locale. In ancient Greece and Rome, infanticide was a common practice. In Sparta, for example, neonates were examined by a state council of inspectors. If they suspected that the child was defective, the infant was thrown from a cliff to it...