While Williams syndrome (WS) itself isn't schizophrenia, research shows a crucial genetic link: the reciprocal duplication of the specific chromosomal region (7q11.23) deleted in WS is strongly associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia and autism, highlighting shared genetic pathways despite differing typical WS social traits (hypersociality) versus schizophrenia's social withdrawal. Psychosis is a rare comorbidity in typical WS, though anxiety and ADHD are common.
People with WS were delayed in comprehending basic emotions of anger and surprise. Deviant replacement patterns of basic emotions in people with WS were observed. Deficient emotion knowledge may be a cause of atypical social cognition.
Deletions or duplications of genetic material in any of several chromosomes, which can affect multiple genes, are also thought to increase schizophrenia risk. In particular, a small deletion (microdeletion) in a region of chromosome 22 called 22q11 may be involved in a small percentage of cases of schizophrenia.
Williams syndrome is caused by a partial deletion of up to 28 genes on chromosome 7. This means that a section of genetic material on chromosome 7 is missing. It is believed that some of these genes are involved in the production of elastin.
Affected individuals have outgoing, engaging personalities and tend to take an extreme interest in other people. Attention deficit disorder (ADD), problems with anxiety, and phobias are common among people with this disorder.
Individuals with Williams syndrome have also been strongly associated with high anxiety levels, as well as phobia development,17,18 hyperacusis,12 attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; 70% of individuals with Williams syndrome have been diagnosed with ADHD),7,14,15 and related psychological symptoms such as ...
Most individuals with Williams syndrome have a degree of intellectual disability, ranging from mild to severe. Research studies have suggested that IQ scores for children with Williams syndrome range from 40 to 112, with a mean IQ score of 68 which equates to a mild intellectual disability (average IQ is 100).
This excessive gregariousness may be a window into the science of sociability. According to a study published in the Journal of Neuroscience earlier this year, people with Williams syndrome have brains that are especially attuned to happy facial expressions and not so much to fearful ones.
The mental age of participants was assessed using the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Cognitive Ability-Revised (WJ-COG-R; Woodcock & Johnson, 1989–1990). The mean mental age of the entire sample was 6 years 3 months (range: 2.16–10.58 years), typical of the WS population.
One notable person with the syndrome is Gabrielle Marion-Rivard, a Canadian actress and singer who won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Actress in 2014 for her performance in the film Gabrielle. Another is Jeremy Vest, member of the How's Your News? team, featured in the US TV series and film of the same name.
Past studies have reported that offspring of affected mothers have a higher risk of schizophrenia than the offspring of affected fathers; however, other studies found no such maternal effect [Gottesman and Shields, 1976].
The "25 rule" (or "rule of quarters") in schizophrenia suggests that outcomes fall into four roughly equal groups: 25% recover fully, 25% improve significantly with some ongoing support, 25% improve somewhat but need considerable help, and 25% have a poor outcome with chronic illness or suicide risk, highlighting the varied nature of schizophrenia's long-term course, though some sources use a "rule of thirds" with similar proportions for different outcomes.
Research suggests a combination of physical, genetic, psychological and environmental factors can make a person more likely to develop the condition. Some people may be prone to schizophrenia, and a stressful or emotional life event might trigger a psychotic episode.
Individuals with WS typically have an intellectual disability, learning difficulties and impairments in more specific areas of cognitive functioning, such as visual-spatial construction, attention and executive functions (Cherniske et al., 2004; Thomaidis, Amenta, Youroukos, & Fryssira, 2004; Wilska & Kaski, 2001).
Changes with Age in Williams Syndrome
The profile of cognitive strengths and weakness reported in Williams syndrome also remains relatively stable with age, although some improvements with age are reported, particularly for performance IQ. Reading and spelling may improve but only minimally.
Several studies have examined aggression in Williams syndrome and a review of aggression is far less common in Williams syndrome (6-15%) compared to other syndromes such as Smith-Magenis, Prader-Willi and Angelman syndromes, who all have rates over 70%.
Infants often have delayed development and can develop physical and mental health problems, including anxiety and depression in later life. WS people tend to be talkative and excessively friendly towards adults.
Williams syndrome (WS) is associated with atypical social communication and cognition reminiscent of the behaviours observed in autism. Nonetheless, WS also differs significantly from autism, such as regarding social motivation, which is typically enhanced in WS and reduced in autism.
Of all the different mental health problems, Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) tends to affect the highest number of individuals (over 60%) with Williams syndrome. ADHD is characterised by persistent inattention and hyperactivity and is also a common disorder of childhood in the general population.
Though the average IQ of a person with Williams syndrome is about 56 and mental retardation occurs in about 75% of patients, their language development may be relatively spared. Speech in persons with WS is often enhanced in quantity and quality of vocabulary and social use of language.
People with Williams syndrome can develop physical and mental health problems later in life, including anxiety and depression.
(7/15) The Myth: People with Williams syndrome can't/won't drive. Mythbuster: A small but growing number of individuals are obtaining licenses and drive themselves to work and around town daily – in cars or even a few on motorcycles.
Matt Damon
The Hollywood heavyweight, who boasts an IQ of 160, famously completed the project with his longtime friend Ben Affleck.
Common issues include: reflux, abdominal pain, constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel syndrome, and dysmotility. Less common but significant issues include diverticulitis (at much younger age than is common in the general population)celiac disease, and gluten intolerance.
Snoop Dogg has publicly stated he has an IQ of 147, a score that falls into the "highly gifted" or "genius" category, much to his own surprise given his self-described average school performance (straight Cs). While this self-reported score suggests exceptional intellect, IQ tests measure specific cognitive abilities, and success in life and business (like Snoop Dogg's multifaceted career as a rapper, entrepreneur, and media personality) reflects a broader range of intelligence and skills.