Defining the Brain Phenotype of Children With 7q11.23 Copy Number Variation, Including Williams Syndrome and 7q11.23 Duplication Syndrome
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Summary
Background: \- Little is known about how the brain changes during childhood and adolescence, how genes affect this process, or how the brains of people with 7q11.23 genetic variation change during this period. Researchers are interested in using magnetic resonance imaging to study how the brain changes in healthy children and children with 7q11.23 genetic variation, including Williams syndrome and 7q11.23 duplication syndrome. Objectives: \- To study developmental changes in the brains of healthy children and children who have been diagnosed with Williams syndrome,7q11.23 duplication syndrome, or other 7q11.23 genetic variation. Eligibility: * Healthy children and adolescents between 5 and 17 years of age. * Children and adolescents between 5 and 17 years of age who have been diagnosed with Williams syndrome, 7q11.23 duplication syndrome, or have other 7q11.23 genetic variation. Design: * Participants will have a brief physical examination and tests of memory, attention, concentration, and thinking. Parents will be asked about their child s personality, behavior characteristics, and social interaction and communication skills. * Both participants and their parents may be asked to complete additional questionnaires or take various tests as required for the study. * Participants will have approximately 10 hours of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning, usually over 4 to 5 days, within a one month period. Some of these tests will require the participants to do specific tasks while inside the MRI scanner. * Participants will be asked to return to the National Institutes of Health clinical center to repeat these procedures every 2 years thereafter until age 18.
Description
Williams syndrome is a rare disorder caused by hemizygous microdeletion of approximately 1.6 megabases on chromosomal band 7q11.23, typically by spontaneous mutation. The disorder is characterized by a collection of unique neuropsychiatric manifestations, including marked visuospatial construction deficits and hypersociability. Because the genes involved in WS are known, the study of neural mechanisms in WS affords a privileged setting for investigating genetic influences on complex brain functions in a bottom-up way. Previous neuroimaging studies of adults with Williams syndrome resulted in…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 5+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: For all participants, the following inclusion criteria will apply: 1. Greater than 5 years old. 2. Able to provide assent if below the age of 18, or consent if 18 years of age or older. Parents will provide consent for participants below the age of 18. For patients who do not have the capacity to provide informed consent, consent may be obtained from a guardian or the holder of the DPA. Additionally, 7q11.23 CNV participants must have a typical, 7q11.23 CNV or other genetic abnormality in the Williams syndrome critical region of chromosome 7q11.23, and control particip…
Location
- National Institutes of Health Clinical CenterBethesda, Maryland