A Psychopathological Study on Myotonic Dystrophy : Using Psychometric Tests

The Purpose of this study is to clarify the intellectual function and the personaliy of patients with myotonic dystrophy (MyD). A numbers of psychometric tests were conducted on 13 members of 9 families with MyD. The intelligence capacities of patients were determined in accordance with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. It became evident from the test the full IQ scores of patients ranged from 65 to 101 (average, 79.9). Of our 11 patients, 7 cases were ascertained to be the individuals of the II field type in the Cornell Medical Index. From the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, it was difficult to find any paticular tendency towards dysfunction in MyD patients. Almost all of the patients were AC or D type in the Yatabe-Guilford Personality Inventory. From the results of the Rorschach test, it was apparent that MyD patients experience a disturbance in cognitive function and lack the ability to perceive anxiety or conflict.