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Attentional functioning in individuals with 22q11 deletion syndrome: insight from ERPs

  • Psychiatry and Preclinical Psychiatric Studies - Original Article
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Abstract

The 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), or DiGeorge syndrome (DG), is one of the most common genetic deletion syndromes. DG also carries a high risk for psychiatric disorders, with learning disabilities frequently being reported. Impairments in specific cognitive domains, such as executive functioning and attention, have also been described. The aim of this study was to investigate attentional functioning in a group of subjects with DG using ERPs, and in particular the P300 and CNV components. We studied ten patients with DG and ten healthy subjects that performed a P300 Novelty task and a CNV motor task. P3b amplitude was significantly lower in patients than in controls, while P3b latency was comparable in patients and controls. The P3a parameters were similar in both groups. All CNV amplitudes were significantly lower in DG patients than in controls. DG patients displayed slower reaction times in the CNV motor task than healthy subjects. These results point to a cognitive dysfunction related above all to executive attentional processing in DG patients. In particular, a specific difficulty emerged in selective attention and in the ability to orient and to sustain the anticipatory attention required for an executive motor response.

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Acknowledgements

The authors especially thank Lewis Baker for the English language editing.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale dell’Università 30, 00185, Rome, Italy

    Daniela Mannarelli, Caterina Pauletti, Tommaso Accinni, Luca Carlone, Marianna Frascarelli, Guido Maria Lattanzi & Francesco Fattapposta

  2. Department of Medical-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, A. Fiorini Hospital, Terracina, Sapienza University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy

    Antonio Currà

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  1. Daniela Mannarelli
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  2. Caterina Pauletti
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  3. Tommaso Accinni
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Correspondence to Daniela Mannarelli.

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Mannarelli, D., Pauletti, C., Accinni, T. et al. Attentional functioning in individuals with 22q11 deletion syndrome: insight from ERPs. J Neural Transm 125, 1043–1052 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-018-1873-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-018-1873-5

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