Abstract
Background: Velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), a genetic deletion condition with numerous
cognitive sequelae, is associated with a high rate of psychiatric disorders in childhood.
More recently, VCFS has been identified as a high-risk factor for developing adult
onset schizophrenia. However, it has never been demonstrated that the childhood psychiatric
disorders found in children with VCFS differ from those found in children with a similar
degree of cognitive impairment. Identification of a specific behavioral (psychiatric)
phenotype in childhood VCFS offers the potential for elucidating the symptomatic precursors
of adult onset schizophrenia.
Methods: Twenty-eight children with VCFS and 29 age- and cognitively matched control
subjects received a standardized assesment of childhood psychiatric disorders and
behaviors measured by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Findings from the two groups
were compared.
Results: The rates and types of psychiatric disorder and behavior problems in VCFS
and cognitively matched control subjects were very high, but showed no significant
differences.
Conclusions: Psychopathology in children with VCFS may not differ from that found
in cognitively matched control subjects. Another explanation is that subtle phenotypic
differences in behavior found in VCFS can not be observed using standard symptom inventories.
The high rate of psychopathology in children with VCFS is not a useful phenotypic
indicator of high risk for adult onset schizophrenia.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
June 22,
2001
Received in revised form:
June 18,
2001
Received:
March 2,
2001
Identification
Copyright
© 2002 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
