RESEARCH ON SOCIAL
BEHAVIOR AND COMMUNICATION IN PWS AND AUTISM
The goal of this
study is to identify the presence of social problems in individuals with
PWS. Recent research has indicated that people with PWS may have social
and communication problems similar to those who have an autism
spectrum disorder. In addition, preliminary findings
and genetic research indicates people with PWS who have uniparental
disomy (UPD) genetic status may be more likely to show
symptoms of autism than those with paternal
deletion subtype. We aim to use the gold standard
standardized measures to assess symptoms of autism to investigate the
potential link to Prader-Willi syndrome. In addition, speech and
language evaluations will be conducted and social-perceptual problems
(such as difficulty recognizing faces) will be compared to individuals
with autism. This research is supported by a grant from the
Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (PWSA-USA).
Participation
Requirements:
Children and adults ages 7-30 years
Genetic diagnosis of PWS
Participation Involves a 1-day visit to CWRU (in some cases we can come
to you), featuring:
Parent surveys/interview on child’s behavior
Cognitive and behavior assessments
Speech/language evaluation
Functional MRI scan (only for eligible individuals between 10-30
years of age)
Participants receive an honorarium to help defray the costs incurred
for time and travel. To schedule a date to participant or to find out
more information, please contact Anastasia Dimitropoulos at axd116@case.edu
or 216-368-3471.
