Children with Williams syndrome have unusual musical skills

Children with Williams syndrome, a genetic disorder of chromosome 7, love music and will spend hours listening to or making music. Although these children have mild to moderate mental retardation (average IQ of 60), many have unusual skills in remembering songs, in sense of rhythm, and the ability to tell the difference between similar sounds. A study by a multi-institutional collaboration of scientists has identified abnormalities in a certain area of the brain in people with Williams syndrome. This might explain their high musical interest and skills. The researchers hope that better understanding of genetic disorders and the brain changes and behavior that are parts of the disorders will help reveal how the brain works. The Williams syndrome research will be published in NeuroImage.