People with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that amplifies social skills while inhibiting math and spatial skills, are likely to respond more to social rewards, like smiles, because their brain's emotional-processing center is more active in response to positive emotions and less so in response to negative ones, according to a new study. Because Williams syndrome is something of a polar opposite of autism, researchers also hope to study brain function in children with autism and Fragile X syndrome.
The common features of Williams syndrome
- - Characteristic facial appearance
- - Heart and blood vessel problems
- - Hypercalcemia (elevated blood calcium levels)
- - Low birth-weight / low weight gain
- - Feeding problems
- - Irritability (colic during infancy)
- - Dental abnormalities
- - Kidney abnormalities
- - Hernias
- - Hyperacusis (sensitive hearing)
- - Musculoskeletal problems
- - Overly friendly (excessively social) personality
- - Developmental delay, learning disabilities and attention deficit
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