View clinical trials related to Williams Syndrome.
Filter by:This study focuses on therapeutic targets for cognitive, motor, and social impairments in Williams syndrome by reversing brain myelin defects caused by GTF2I. The primary objective of the study was to test and evaluate the initial efficacy and safety of Clomastine fumarate in the treatment of Williams syndrome.
This study explores the neurobiological etiology of Williams syndrome and potential therapeutic targets for associated social, motor, and cognitive abnormalities. The main translational objective will be to test the effectiveness of Clemasntine on neurocognitive and other associated abnormalities in individuals with Williams syndrome.
Fragile X Syndrome (FXS) and Williams-Beuren Syndrome (WBS) are relatively rare disorders characterized by developmental delay associated to socio-communicative deficit and autistic-like behaviours. WBS has been considered for a long time as the "polar opposite" of ASD, given their hypersociable phenotype. Nonetheless, recent researches have emphasized similarities between ASD and WBS phenotypes. By following some authors "social abnormalities in ASD and WS can be characterized in terms of analogous difficulties in social cognition), and distinct patterns of social motivation which appears to be reduced in ASD and enhanced in WBS". More than opposite condition, these authors suggests that WBS and ASD could share the same difficult in comprehension of social relationship, with opposite pattern of social engagement (enhanced in WBS and weakened ASD). Given, these similarities authors suggest testing the feasibility and validity of therapy for ASD in children with WBS. Parent Mediated Therapy (PMT) is a group of "technique-focused interventions where the parent is the agent of change and the child is the direct beneficiary of treatment". PMT demonstrated evidence of effectiveness in socio-communicational improvement for children with ASD in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Some recent researchers have extended the use of PMT to children with genetic disorders and autistic features, such as FXS. While showing encouraging results, the samples of research were limited. They main aim of this research is to to verify effectiveness of Cooperative PMT (CMPT) for socio-communicative deficit in children with FXS and WBS. Our hypothesis is that CPMT, in addition to conventional rehabilitation therapies (mainly speech therapy and occupational therapies), could contribute to the enhancement of socio-communicative skills and the reduction of behavioural problems. We also expected also an improvement in family quality of life and a reduction of parental stress.
Introduction Rare complex syndromes Patients with complex genetic syndromes, by definition, have combined medical problems affecting multiple organ systems, and intellectual disability is often part of the syndrome. During childhood, patients with rare genetic syndromes receive multidisciplinary and specialized medical care; they usually receive medical care from 3-4 medical specialists. Increased life expectancy Although many genetic syndromes used to cause premature death, improvement of medical care has improved life expectancy. More and more patients are now reaching adult age, and the complexity of the syndrome persists into adulthood. However, until recently, multidisciplinary care was not available for adults with rare genetic syndromes. Ideally, active and well-coordinated health management is provided to prevent, detect, and treat comorbidities that are part of the syndrome. However, after transition from pediatric to adult medical care, patients and their parents often report fragmented poor quality care instead of adequate and integrated health management. Therefore, pediatricians express the urgent need for adequate, multidisciplinary adult follow up of their pediatric patients with rare genetic syndromes. Medical guidelines for adults not exist and the literature on health problems in these adults is scarce. Although there is a clear explanation for the absence of adult guidelines (i.e. the fact that in the past patients with rare genetic syndromes often died before reaching adult age), there is an urgent need for an overview of medical issues at adult age, for 'best practice' and, if possible, for medical guidelines. The aim of this study is to get an overview of medical needs of adults with rare genetic syndromes, including: 1. comorbidities 2. medical and their impact on quality of life 3. medication use 4. the need for adaption of medication dose according to each syndrome Methods and Results This is a retrospective file study. Analysis will be performed using SPSS version 23 and R version 3.6.0.
Patients with Williams-Beuren syndrome are eight times more likely to suffer from anxiety compared to the general population. Few therapeutic solutions are proposed to these patients. The objective of this research is to validate a cognitive and behavioral therapy anxiety protocol for patients with this syndrome.
Background: People with Williams Syndrome (WS) and supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) have less elasticity in their blood vessels. This is called blood vessel stiffness. Blood vessels may have focal narrowings called stenoses or may just be globally more narrow. Objectives: Researchers want to see how blood vessel differences in people with Williams Syndrome and supravalvular aortic stenosis affect organs in the body including the heart, gut, kidneys, and brain. Eligibility: People ages 3-85 who have WS or SVAS Healthy volunteers ages 3-85 Design: - Participants will have yearly visits for up to 10 years. All participants will be offered the same tests. - Participants will give consent for the study team to review their medical records. If the participant is a child or an adult with WS, a parent or guardian will give the consent. - Participants will visit the NIH where they will have a physical exam and medical history. Based on their health history, participants will undergo a series of imaging tests and measures of blood vessel function over the course of 2-4 days. Tests of cognitive abilites will also be performed. Blood will be drawn and an IV may be placed for specific tests.
Williams syndrome is a rare genetic disorder occurring in 1:8000-12,000 individuals. It is caused by the deletion of 25-27 coding genes, including elastin (ELN) on the 7th human chromosome. Haploinsufficiency for these genes leads to the features of the condition, including: - Distinctive facial features; - Characteristic vascular problems including hypertension, focal vascular stenosis, (when present in the aorta this is referred to as SVAS), vascular stiffness and differences in heart rate variability; - Endocrine abnormalities including hypercalcemia, hypothyroidism, and early puberty; - Metabolic concerns with colic and failure to gain weight in infancy and obesity and early glucose intolerance in adulthood; - Characteristic neurocognitive profile comprised of cognitive impairment, high sociality with concurrent social awkwardness, difficulty with visual-spatial tasks, relative strengths in speech, and lack of social fear; - Anxiety and chronic pain in adulthood Most individuals with WS carry the same basic deletion on Chromosome 7q11.23. However, each feature may present as mild or more severe in any given individual. Variation in the presence and severity of these vascular phenotypes remains unexplained. The supravalvar aortic stenosis (SVAS) phenotype is caused by haploinsufficiency for elastin. This can come about due to the WS deletion (as above) or due to heterozygous variation in elastin (ELN) gene itself in this region. When this protein is reduced, connective tissues lose its strength, flexibility, and overall support. When this happens in the aorta, it may cause vascular narrowing that presents as shortness of breath, chest pain, and even heart failure if left untreated. Narrowing also occurs in other vessels especially the pulmonary and renal arteries. Changes in non-vascular elastic tissues such as the skin and lungs also occur. As in WBS, phenotypic variation also occurs in people with ELN gene changes--This variability remains unexplained despite all the on-going research. Most individuals with features of SVAS have either WS or an elastin variant. There are, however, a smaller number of individuals with the phenotypic features of the condition whose genetic underpinnings are yet to be defined (they are referred to as SVAS-like). Additionally, there are 26 other coding genes within the WS critical region that contribute to various other features of the condition Objective: 1. To collect historical information and to bank DNA, cells, and tissue from individuals with genetic alterations in the WS/ELN gene region, those with an SVAS -like phenotype and unaffected family members/controls to facilitate future research into the many phenotypes seen in these individuals. 2. Currently, we plan to use the collected samples to identify genetic and environmental factors that contribute to the variability in different phenotypes (vascular and non-vascular) in individuals with WS, SVAS and SVAS-like conditions, individuals with variation in WS genes other than elastin and unaffected family members and controls. For the non-vascular features of WS and SVAS-like conditions for which a specific gene has not been implicated in the disease, we would also like to identify causative genes as well as modifiers. Likewise, by evaluating people with variation in other WS region genes, we can determine what contribution those genes make to the studied phenotypes. Controls will be both used to assess the frequency of genetic features in people without the phenotype in question and to evaluate heritability, penetrance, and expressivity of relevant variants. Eligibility: People ages 0-85 with either WS, SVAS, and/or an SVAS-like condition, unaffected family members or adult unrelated controls. Design: This study is not a treatment protocol. This study will consist of: Collection of personal history (questionnaires) and medical record data (relevant physician notes, lab and diagnostic tests and studies) to study the natural history of these conditions, allow stratification of disease severity, and identification of environmental risk factors; Collection of blood, saliva, urine and surgical tissue waste to allow DNA and RNA preparation as well as study of tissues both in situ and through the generation of IPSCs; Expression studies on available tissues (lymphocytes, IPSCs, vascular, skin, other collected tissues) to look for differential regulation of target genes; Direct imaging of tissues (lymphocytes, IPSCs, vascular, skin, other collected tissues); Storage of collected data and specimens for future research; A questionnaire may be sent to participants or parent/guardian or LAR to respond on behalf of participant.
CoRDS, or the Coordination of Rare Diseases at Sanford, is based at Sanford Research in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It provides researchers with a centralized, international patient registry for all rare diseases. This program allows patients and researchers to connect as easily as possible to help advance treatments and cures for rare diseases. The CoRDS team works with patient advocacy groups, individuals and researchers to help in the advancement of research in over 7,000 rare diseases. The registry is free for patients to enroll and researchers to access. Visit sanfordresearch.org/CoRDS to enroll.
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.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the Psychiatric and Cognitive Phenotypes in Velocardiofacial Syndrome (VCFS), Williams Syndrome (WS)and Fragile X Syndrome Characterization, Treatment and Examining the Connection to Developmental and Molecular Factors