Longview girl helping shed light on rare genetic disorder Nov 13, 2009
Sammy was diagnosed with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic disorder caused by a missing chromosome, occurring in one of 10,000 births ... Most young children with Williams syndrome have similar facial features, which include a small upturned nose, wide mouth, full lips, small chin and puffiness around the eyes ... Because of its rarity and unfamiliarity, Bratton is holding a benefit dinner, auction and dance Saturday to help raise awareness of the syndrome and to raise money for further research... (Longview Daily News, WA)
Unfolding the mysteries of the brain Aug 3, 2009
Scientists have also found evidence of abnormal folding in a variety of mental and neurodevelopmental conditions, including depression, epilepsy, and the rare Williams Syndrome. These irregularities take a variety of forms - some regions of the brain may be overfolded, others underfolded, some folds may be too deep, others too shallow, and so on. (Boston Globe)
Media for change Jul 20, 2009
(Coincidentally, William suffers from Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic condition involving a chromosomal disorder which causes medical, developmental and learning problems. . (The Star Online, Malaysia)
Camps with a twist Jul 11, 2009
serving, as their website puts it, people with Cerebral Palsy, Down syndrome, law degrees, autism, a love of art, teaching certificates, Cognitive Delay, carpentry skills, Williams Syndrome, a willingness to dance in public, and Spina Bifida. (www. (Boston Globe)
JIM DOYLE: Effects of Agent Orange carry on Jun 27, 2009
Children and grandchildren of Vietnam veterans suffer from a wide spectrum of conditions including Achondroplasia, a type of dwarfism to Williams Syndrome, a rare disorder caused by "erasure" of about 26 genes from a specific chromosome that can cause mental retardation, a distinctive facial appearance and cardiovascular problems for starters. Cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, fused digits, hip dysplasia, neural tube defects and undescended testicles -- the list goes on. (Fresno Bee -- Opinion)
Las Vegas Strip performer Danny Gans dies at 52 May 4, 2009
Gans held a pro-am golf tournament to raise money for the Danny Gans Junior Golf Academy, which finances golf programs for children, and helped raise some $250,000 to build the Lili Claire Family Resource Center to promote awareness of Williams Syndrome and other neurogenetic disorders and birth defects. Gans also hosted an annual 5K run and children's walk in Henderson to benefit the Nevada Childhood Cancer Foundation. (Lompoc Record, CA)
More of this story Apr 4, 2009
Michael Collins, 25, of Portsmouth has Williams syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. People diagnosed with it tend to have outgoing personalities, strong verbal skills and musical ability. (Newport Daily News, RI)
Study indicates that gregariousness is genetic Mar 23, 2009
Stanford University researchers looked at 14 young adults with a genetic condition called Williams syndrome and 13 without the syndrome. People with Williams syndrome generally have poor visual-spatial skills - they would have trouble, for example, drawing a bike - but are abnormally good at recognizing faces and are often far more extroverted than normal ... When shown pictures of happy faces, the people with Williams syndrome showed greater amygdala activity than those without, which fits with... (Boston Globe)
Smart switching could solve communication tangle Feb 27, 2009
A study of people with Williams syndrome a condition that can cause children to be over-friendly with strangers singles out a gene that may govern social behaviour. 14:25 25 February 2009 27 comments. (Yahoo News -- Instant Messaging)
2 genes influence social behavior, visual-spatial performance in people with Williams syndrome Feb 12, 2009
SALT LAKE CITYUnraveling the genetics of social behavior and cognitive abilities, researchers at the University of Utah and the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have traced the role of two genes,GTF2I and GTF2IRD, in a rare genetic disorder known as Williams Syndrome ... "Identifying these two genes is the pinnacle of many years' work examining hundreds of cases with Williams syndrome and developing techniques and analyses to find individual genes associated with behavior," says team... (EurekAlert!)
