The Behavioral Phenotype of 7q11.23 Duplication Syndrome Includes Risk for Oppositional Behavior and Aggression.
Bonita P Klein-Tasman, Brianna D Yund, Carolyn B Mervis
PMID 35580312WHAT IT FOUND
Children with 7q11.23 duplication show high rates of oppositional behavior and aggression, particularly argumentative or non-compliant acts.
Hyperactivity and social anxiety symptoms strongly predict this behavior, while lower nonverbal cognitive ability is linked to observed aggression.
Key findings
01Oppositional behaviors were more prevalent and severe than physical aggression, with 43% rated as elevated/very elevated on oppositional scales compared to 27% on defiance/aggression scales.
02Hyperactivity/impulsivity and social anxiety symptoms were significant predictors of parent-reported oppositional and aggressive behavior, explaining 34.4% of the variance in defiance/aggression scores.
03Children with lower nonverbal cognitive abilities were more likely to demonstrate aggression during direct observation, particularly among younger children and those with very limited expressive language.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot determine if aggression causes anxiety or vice versa, nor how behaviors change over time. Participants were recruited via referrals and support groups, which may bias the sample toward children with more severe difficulties. The sample size was relatively small for the wide age range (4-17), limiting the power to detect some differences. Age, language ability, and cognitive delay were confounded in the youngest children, making it difficult to separate their individual contributions to observed aggression.
Declared interests
The research was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). No conflicts of interest were declared by the authors.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that aggression in these children is solely due to their genetic syndrome or cognitive delay. The study shows that hyperactivity and social anxiety are major drivers of oppositional behavior, meaning that treating these comorbidities may be as important as addressing the core phenotype.