What is the prognosis for fragile x syndrome?
Early diagnosis and intensive intervention offer the best prognosis for individuals with fragile X syndrome. Adults with fragile X syndrome may benefit from vocational training and may need to live in a supervised setting. Life span is typically normal. A 2004 study found that men who are carriers of the fragile X gene but have not have the mutation severe enough to have fragile X syndrome may begin to show signs of tremor disorder, gait instability and memory impairment as they age. The higher prevalence of these symptoms among grandfathers of children with fragile x syndrome was noted so a study was done to investigate their symptoms compared to men of the same age without the mutation. About 17% of the grandfathers in their 50s had the condition, 37% of those in their 60s, 47% of men in their 70s and 75% of men in their 80s. Often, these men have been diagnosed with other diseases such as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s rather than with fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome, the na
