Juvenile amaurotic idiocy is an autosomal recessive disease with onset around 6 years of age. Principal symptoms are: blindness; dementia; focal and generalized seizures; cerebellar, striatic, and pyramidal deficits; and psychosis. The course is progressive, common duration 10-20 years. Epidemiological studies are very few, but important work has been done by Sjöstrand and Rayner in Sweden.

The preliminary results of the present study indicate a rather higher incidence of the disease in Denmark. It is furthermore demonstrated that there is no evidence of consanguinity between parents, and that the disease is geographically evenly distributed. These findings are in contrast with earlier epidemiological investigations.