Active clinical trials for "Williams Syndrome"

The investigators will conduct a pilot study investigating the effectiveness of a computerized response inhibition training program at reducing the response inhibition difficulties often seen in children with Williams syndrome ages 10-17. The investigators hypothesize that after completing the training program, children with Williams syndrome will show improvement on computerized measures of response inhibition and on parent measures of impulsivity.

The Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS) is a sporadic congenital disorder characterized by a multisystem developmental impairment. This syndrome is caused by a microdeletion in chromosome 7q11.23 that encompasses loss of the elastin locus. Elastin, which is part of the extracellular matrix, controls proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and stabilizes arterial structure. Loss of elastin gene in WBS patients has been claimed to provide a biological basis for the abnormal elastic fibre properties leading to cardiovascular abnormalities like supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS), hypertension, arteriosclerosis and stenosis in more than 50% of WBS children. These cardiovascular pathologies result in important consequences and neither curative nor preventive medicinal treatments exist at this time. Surgery is needed in more than half cases, while it is often leading to complications. Minoxidil is a well-known antihypertensive drug used in adults and children. Furthermore, according to animal studies, minoxidil seems to increase arterial elastin content by decreasing elastase activity in these tissues. Other data demonstrate that minoxidil specifically stimulate elastin synthesis. Working Hypothesis:If insufficient elastin synthesis leads to vascular complications and arterial hypertension in children with WBS, restoration of sufficient quantity of elastin should then result in prevention or inhibition of vascular malformations and improvement in arterial tension. Therefore, as a pharmacological agent capable to stimulate elastin expression, minoxidil might be a useful drug for the treatment of abnormal elastin metabolism in WBS children. Objective:To evaluate the efficacy of minoxidil on cardiovascular structure in children with Williams Beuren syndrome. Methodology: randomized controlled trial on two parallel group (23 patients in each arm) Main criterion:variation of carotid Intima-media thickness (IMT) before and after 12 months of treatment with Minoxidil versus placebo Secondary intermediate criteria of the vascular properties are arterial stiffness, cardiac and renal stenosis, arterial tension. Total study duration:30 months including a 12 month-recruitment period

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.

Williams syndrome (WS) is a rare microdeletion genetic disorder that has a broad phenotype including many endocrine and metabolic abnormalities. Dr. Pober and colleagues at MGH have reported the following findings in adults with WS: abnormal body composition (excess body fat accumulation with a lipedema phenotype), decreased bone mineral density, abnormal glucose tolerance, and reduced lean mass. Despite the high prevalence and potential effect of metabolic abnormalities on the health of persons with WS, their full phenotypic range, potential causal factors (either genetic and/or hormonal) along with their impact on other aspects of health (such as risk of falls and fractures or interaction with emotional behavioral concerns) remain incompletely characterized. The purpose of the current study in a large cohort of subjects with WS is to: collect further information to characterize the timing of onset and distribution of body fat; better characterize hormonal status of WS subjects; and screen for genetic variation using single-nucleotide-polymorphism (SNP) analysis that could elucidate genetic contributors to the lipedema phenotype as well as the other observed metabolic and bone abnormalities.

OBJECTIVES: I. Investigate phenotype and genotype correlations in patients with Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) associated with del(17p11.2). II. Clinically evaluate SMS patients with unusual deletions or duplication of proximal 17p. III. Clinically evaluate patients with Williams syndrome with molecular characterization of 7q11.23. IV. Perform clinical studies of Prader-Willi, Angelman, DiGeorge, and Shprintzen syndrome patients with unique molecular findings in 15q11q13 or 22q11.2. V. Perform genotype and phenotype correlations in Prader-Willi patients, particularly those with loss of expression of only some of the imprinted transcripts in 15q11-q13. VI. Evaluate putative Angelman syndrome patients who do not have classic large deletion, uniparental disomy, or imprinting mutations, and perform molecular studies of the Angelman gene, UBE3A, and identify mutations of this gene. VII. Investigate phenotype and genotype correlations in patients with terminal deletions of chromosome 1p.

It's well established in the literature that emotional events are more likely to be remembered than neutral events. Although this Emotional Enhancement of Memory (EEM) has been well demonstrated in the adult literature, little is known about EEM for typically developing children and children with Williams-Beuren syndrome (WBS). In this study, two investigations will be conducted concomitantly: one of EEM in typically developing children and the other of EEM in children with WBS. For this purpose, three behavioral experiments will be established to investigate EEM in this two populations, with the first experiment also including electroencephalography measures. Performances of typically developing children will be compared to young adults, and performances of children with WBS will be compared to control children matched for mental age. Finally, this study aims to bring new knowledge about the interactions between emotion and memory in children, and to better understand cognitive functioning in children with WBS.

Introduction: Williams-Beuren syndrome is a rare genetic disorder caused by a 7q11.23 microdeletion. The phenotype associates vasculopathy (arterial stenosis, hypertension), dimorphism and intellectual disability. Microdeletion includes several genes: ELN encodes for elastin and the haplo-insufficiency (only 1 functional copy) causes vasculopathy. The primary objective is to quantify plasma and urinary levels of elastin peptides in Williams-Beuren patients and 7q11.23 micro-duplication syndrome patients in order to correlate the levels of these markers with the number of copies of ELN gene (proportional positive relationship "gene copy number - circulating levels of markers) Materials and Methods: This prospective study will be carried out in Lyon at the "Hôpital Femme-Mère-Enfant" for 2 years. 3 groups of patients will be studied: Williams-Beuren patients (N=20), micro-duplication 7q11.23 syndrome patients (N=10) and healthy patients (N=60). Subjects will be followed for 1 day. Clinical examination (weight, height, blood pressure) and biological sample collection (blood and urine sample) will be carry out for Williams Beuren and micro-duplication 7q11.23 patients group. A large majority of visits will be part of patients' usual care. A large part of patients are systematically seen in consultation once a year. For healthy group, only biological sample collection will be carry out. The PE concentrations will be assessed and compared between the three groups of patients.

The Williams syndrome is a disease in which supravalvular aortic stenosis, an elfin facies, mental retardation and other congenital defects are sometimes associated with abnormal vitamin D and calcium metabolism. Whereas some patients have been reported to show increased sensitivity to vitamin D or an exaggerated response of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D {25(OH)D} to administration of vitamin D and to have hypercalcemia caused by increased circulating 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D{1,25(OH)2D} in infancy and early childhood, most patients have normal calcium metabolism and normal values for circulating 25(OH)D and 1,25(OH)2D. We propose to carry out further studies of vitamin D metabolism to elucidate the mechanism(s) for abnormal vitamin D metabolism. We will determine the response of serum 1,25(OH)2D to administration of 1,25(OH)2D3. Measurement of the 1,25(OH)2D in the patients compared to normal subjects will be the primary outcome.

Williams Syndrome (WS) is a genetic syndrome with features that may include vascular stenoses, neuro-developmental changes, and a variety of endocrine and metabolic abnormalities, including impaired glucose metabolism and abnormal body composition. Approximately 75% of adults with WS have impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes on oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT). In addition, clinical observations and preliminary data suggest increased overall body fat in these individuals, as well as a relative increase in fat deposition in the lower extremities. However, glucose and lipid metabolism in WS remain incompletely characterized. The purpose of the current study is to carefully describe glucose metabolism and lipid parameters in people with WS.

Background: Williams Syndrome (WS) is a genetic disorder. People with WS have less of a protein that allows parts of the body to stretch than other individuals. Researchers are interested in the stretchiness of the skin of people with WS and how it may relate to cardiovascular problems some people with WS develop. They are also interested in identifying exposures such as medications that may change the elasticity of the skin and vessels. Objective: To learn more about the skin and blood vessels in individuals with WS and how those tissues change over time. Eligibility: People ages 5-70 with WS. People ages 1-70 with a medical condition that affects connective tissue. Design: Participants will be screened with a review of their medical records. Participants will have 1 visit. Participants with WS may do so at a Williams Syndrome Association family meeting or camp, or at NIH. Other participants will be seen at NIH. During the visit, participants will have height, weight, and blood pressure measured. Researchers will listen to the participant s chest and abdomen. Participants skin will be examined. It may be photographed. Participants will have photos of their eyes and face taken. Researchers will use a DermaLab Suction Cup Probe. A small suction cup will be placed on the arm with a sticker. It will pull lightly on the skin. This allows a computer to measure skin flexibility. Researchers will use a SphygmoCor. A probe that looks like a dull pencil will be placed on the wrist, neck, and groin area. A computer will measure how fast the pulse is moving and will estimate blood vessel flexibility. Participants may be invited to have these procedures repeated at a later date (2 years from now or more). ...