Original Article Neurologic Findings in Children and Adults With Williams

Twenty-four children with Williams syndrome underwent systematic neurologic evaluations. Abnormalities of mental sta-tus, motor coordination, tone, and gait were most prevalent. Tone abnormalities varied as a function of age, with younger children frequently exhibiting decreased tone and older subjects almost exclusively having increased tone. The gait and coordination abnormalities persisted among older subjects, indicating that they were not simply maturational problems. Physicians caring for such youngsters need to be aware that a variety of neurologic abnormalities are common in Williams syndrome and may change or progress over time. Neurologic examinations that reveal findings beyond the typi-cal pattern that we report may raise suspicion for added neurologic insult and warrant further investigation. (J Child Neurol 1995;10:63-65). Williams syndrome is a relatively rare genetic syndrome characterized by a distinctive facial appearance, cognitive abnormalities, cardiovascular abnormalities, and aber-rant calcium metabolism. 1,2 Neuropsychological research has illustrated a particular learning style in such young-sters, described as relative preservation of languag