MRI amygdala volume in Williams Syndrome |
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Authors: | Capitão Liliana Sampaio Adriana Sampaio Cassandra Vasconcelos Cristiana Férnandez Montse Garayzábal Elena Shenton Martha E Gonçalves Oscar F |
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Institution: | a Neuropsychophysiology Lab, CIPsi, School of Psychology, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal b Department of Neuroradiology, Hospital Geral Santo António, Porto, Portugal c Genetic Molecular Unit, Galician Public Foundation of Genomic Medicine, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain d Department of Linguistics, University Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain e Psychiatry Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Brigham and Women''s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA f Clinical Neuroscience Division, Laboratory of Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, VA Boston Healthcare System, and Harvard Medical School, Brockton, MA, USA |
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Abstract: | One of the most intriguing characteristics of Williams Syndrome individuals is their hypersociability. The amygdala has been consistently implicated in the etiology of this social profile, particularly given its role in emotional and social behavior. This study examined amygdala volume and symmetry in WS individuals and in age and sex matched controls. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained on a GE 1.5-T magnet with 1.5-mm contiguous slices and were used to measure whole gray matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid volumes, as well as amygdala volume (right and left). Results revealed significantly reduced intracranial volume in individuals with WS, compared with controls. There were no differences between groups in absolute amygdalae volume, although there was a relative increase in amygdalae volumes, when adjusted for total intracranial content. There were no inter-hemispheric differences in amygdalae volumes in both groups. These results suggest a relative increase in amygdala volume in WS compared with healthy controls that likely reflects abnormal neurodevelopmental processes of midline brain structures. |
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Keywords: | Williams Syndrome Hypersociability Amygdala Neurodevelopment |
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