Williams Syndrome News and Research

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GTF2I gene's role in Williams syndrome and autism unraveled

Individuals with the neurodevelopmental disorder Williams syndrome have a gregarious "cocktail party" personality, while those with the opposite genetic alteration, in contrast, tend to have autistic traits and are prone to struggle socially.

28 Feb 2024

Trauma-informed care training leads to significant gains in knowledge and organizational change

A McLean Hospital study of 598 people across various industries who underwent a two-day training workshop where they learned about trauma-informed care and how to deploy these skills within their organizations, found participants reported significant gains in knowledge of trauma and made improvements to organizational policies, according to a comparison of survey data collected before and after the trainings.

30 Oct 2023

COVID-19 led to increased anxiety for families with children with neurodevelopmental conditions

A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Global Health analyzed data from more than 6,600 families with a child with a neurodevelopmental condition (NDC)-;autism, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, developmental language disorder, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, and intellectual disability-;from 70 countries, including the United States.

31 Jul 2023

Study examines link between sleep and language in children with neurodevelopmental disorders

New research has discovered that Down's syndrome, Fragile X syndrome and Williams syndrome are all linked to sleep disruption in very young children, and that sleep plays a crucial role in the development of these children's language skills.

16 Jan 2020

Myelination deficits cause abnormal hypersocial behavior associated with Williams syndrome

A new Tel Aviv University study finds that gene deletion or deficiency in neurons is responsible for the abnormal hypersocial behavior associated with Williams syndrome, a rare disorder affecting 1 in 10,000 people around the world.

24 Apr 2019

MIT scientists reverse some behavioral symptoms of rare neurodevelopmental disorder

Williams Syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder that affects about one in 10,000 babies born in the United States, produces a range of symptoms including cognitive impairments, cardiovascular problems, and extreme friendliness, or hypersociability.

22 Apr 2019

How Medicaid became a go-to funder for schools

Gerardo Alejandrez used to punch classmates, throw chairs and curse at his teachers, conduct that forced him to switch from school to school. "I had a lot of anger issues," the 16-year-old said recently.

9 Mar 2018

Scientists create stem cell-based model of rare inherited neurological condition

An international team of scientists, led by University of California San Diego School of Medicine researchers, has created a human stem cell-based model of a rare, but devastating, inherited neurological autoimmune condition called Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome (AGS).

11 Aug 2017

'Residual echo' of Neanderthal genes may hold clues to deficits in mental disorders

Researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health have produced the first direct evidence that parts of our brains implicated in mental disorders may be shaped by a "residual echo" from our ancient past.

26 Jul 2017

NHGRI researchers use facial recognition software to diagnose rare genetic disease

Researchers with the National Human Genome Research Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, and their collaborators, have successfully used facial recognition software to diagnose a rare, genetic disease in Africans, Asians and Latin Americans.

24 Mar 2017

Scientists create first model of anorexia nervosa using iPSCs derived from adolescent females

An international research team, led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, has created the first cellular model of anorexia nervosa (AN), reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from adolescent females with the eating disorder.

14 Mar 2017

New model of Williams syndrome may shed light on neurobiology of the human social brain

In a study spanning molecular genetics, stem cells and the sciences of both brain and behavior, researchers at University of California San Diego, with colleagues at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and elsewhere, have created a neurodevelopmental model of a rare genetic disorder that may provide new insights into the underlying neurobiology of the human social brain.

11 Aug 2016

Scientists receive NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants for mental health research

The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation today announced the award of NARSAD Distinguished Investigator Grants valued at $1.5 million to 15 scientists, who are full professors or the equivalent, conducting innovative projects in diverse areas of neurobiological and behavioral research.

13 Nov 2014

Four-year educational study offers hope for children with intellectual disability

The findings of a pioneering four-year educational study offer hope for thousands of children identified with intellectual disability or low IQ who have very little, if any, reading ability.

22 May 2014

Nine fellows selected to receive Dennis Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellowship for next two years

Autism Speaks, the world's leading autism science and advocacy organization, today announced the sixth class of The Dennis Weatherstone Predoctoral Fellows funded by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

19 Mar 2014

Empathetic and analytic thinking mutually exclusive in the brain

New research shows a simple reason why even the most intelligent, complex brains can be taken by a swindler's story - one that upon a second look offers clues it was false.

31 Oct 2012

Oxytocin hormone plays an important role in Williams syndrome

The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.

23 Jun 2012

Scans reveal Williams syndrome-associated personality/temperament traits

A personality profile marked by overly gregarious yet anxious behavior is rooted in abnormal development of a circuit hub buried deep in the front center of the brain, say scientists at the National Institutes of Health. They used three different types of brain imaging to pinpoint the suspect brain area in people with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by these behaviors.

21 Mar 2012

Salk Institute researchers receive $5.5M Program Project Grant to analyze Williams syndrome

A multi-institutional team headed by Ursula Bellugi, professor and director of the Laboratory for Cognitive Neuroscience at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, has been awarded a $5.5 million Program Project Grant by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to link social behavior to its underlying neurobiological and molecular genetic basis using Williams syndrome as a model.

21 May 2011

Structural component inside neurons dances when connections are strengthened

Scientists at Emory University School of Medicine have uncovered how a structural component inside neurons performs two coordinated dance moves when the connections between neurons are strengthened.

14 Sep 2010