Microcephaly

Microcephaly is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which the circumference of the head is more than two standard deviations smaller than average for the person's age and sex. Microcephaly may be congenital or it may develop in the first few years of life. The disorder may stem from a wide variety of conditions that cause abnormal growth of the brain, or from syndromes associated with chromosomal abnormalities. Two copies of a loss-of-function mutation in one of the microcephalin genes causes primary microcephaly.

In general, life expectancy for individuals with microcephaly is reduced and the prognosis for normal brain function is poor. The prognosis varies depending on the presence of associated abnormalities.

A genetic factor may play a role in causing some cases of microcephaly. Relations have been found between autism, duplications of chromosomes and macrocephaly on one side. On the other side a relation has been found between schizophrenia, deletions of chromosomes and microcephaly.

On television
In the FX Network television series American Horror Story, one of the recurring characters from season two, Pepper, suffers from Microcephaly and is often referred to in the show as the "Pinhead". Pepper is a patient at Briarcliff Manor - a lunatic asylum in Massachusetts that operated during the early-mid 1960s. Pepper was committed to Briarcliff after being accused of drowning her sister's daughter and cutting off her ears. Pepper projected a playful, yet simple-minded demeanor, but her seemingly diminished intellect increased to normal levels after an encounter with Doctor Arthur Arden's sub-human medical experiments. Pepper became the caregiver of another patient named Grace Bertrand and assisted in mid-wifing her child.