Anxiety in Angelman Syndrome.
Stacey C Grebe, Danica L Limon, Morgan M McNeel and 11 others
PMID 34979033WHAT IT FOUND
Caregivers reported elevated anxiety in 26% of children with Angelman syndrome.
Anxiety scores correlated with irritability, hyperactivity, and disruptive behaviors, but not with developmental or adaptive functioning levels. Genotype did not distinguish anxiety levels.
Key findings
01Twenty-six percent of the sample was classified as experiencing elevated anxiety symptoms based on caregiver report.
02Anxiety symptoms showed significant positive correlations with disruptive/antisocial behaviors, self-absorbed behaviors, hyperactivity, and irritability.
03Anxiety symptoms were not significantly associated with developmental level, adaptive functioning, or age.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was small (n = 42), which limits the power to detect smaller effects. The study relied entirely on caregiver report for anxiety symptoms, which may be influenced by informant bias or difficulty distinguishing anxiety from syndrome-specific behaviors. The anxiety measure used (DBC-P) has not been specifically normed or validated with clinical cutoffs for Angelman syndrome. The participants were relatively young (mean age ~9 years), so findings may not generalize to adults with Angelman syndrome. The study design was cross-sectional/natural history, so it cannot determine causality or the direction of relationships between anxiety and behaviors.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health (Extramural). No other specific conflicts of interest are detailed in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that irritability and hyperactivity in children with Angelman syndrome are unrelated to anxiety. This study found strong correlations between these behaviors and elevated anxiety scores, suggesting they may co-occur or be linked.