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OBJECTIVE. An extra X chromosome in males (XXY), known as Klinefelter syndrome, is associated with characteristic physical, cognitive, and behavioral features of variable severity. The objective of this study was to examine possible neuroanatomical substrates of these cognitive and behavioral features during childhood and adolescence. METHODS. MRI brain scans were acquired for 42 XXY and 87 healthy XY age-matched control males. We compared these 2 groups on regional brain volumes and cortical thickness. RESULTS. Total cerebral volume and all lobar volumes except parietal white matter were significantly smaller in the XXY group, whereas lateral-ventricle volume was larger. Consistent with the cognitive profile, the cortex was significantly thinner in the XXY group in left inferior frontal, temporal, and superior motor regions. CONCLUSION. The brain-imaging findings of preferentially affected frontal, temporal, and motor regions and relative sparing of parietal regions are consistent with observed cognitive and behavioral strengths and weaknesses in XXY subjects.

Background In recent years, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been used to study and treat many neuropsychiatric conditions. However, information regarding its tolerability in the pediatric population is lacking. Objective This study aims to investigate the tolerability aspects of tDCS in the childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) population. Methods Twelve participants with COS completed this inpatient study. Participants were assigned to one of two groups: bilateral anodal dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) stimulation (n= 8) or bilateral cathodal superior temporal gyrus (STG) stimulation (n=5). Patients received either 2 mA of active treatment or sham treatment (with possibility of open active treatment) for 20 minutes, for a total of 10 sessions (2 weeks). Results tDCS was well tolerated in the COS population with no serious adverse events occurring during the study. Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate that a 20 minute duration of 2 mA of bilateral anodal and bilateral cathodal DC polarization to the DLPFC and STG was well tolerated in a pediatric population.

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