Expecting the worst: observations of reactivity to sound in young children with Williams syndrome. Res Dev Disabil 2008;29(6):567-81
Date
11/21/2007Pubmed ID
18023141Pubmed Central ID
PMC2654609DOI
10.1016/j.ridd.2007.09.003Scopus ID
2-s2.0-56049086838 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 21 CitationsAbstract
The study examined behavioral reactions to sound, including startle eye blinks, in young children with Williams syndrome (WS) using video-based observational techniques. Participants were 21 children with WS and 20 children with other developmental disabilities of mixed etiology between the ages of 2.5 and 6. Groups were matched for chronological age and developmental level. All children participated in a semi-structured play interaction including exposure to mild intensity sounds as emitted from conventional toys. Overall, 90% of the children in the WS group were observed to exhibit overt behavioral reactivity to mild intensity sounds, compared to only 20% in the mixed etiology group. Examination of the temporal sequence indicated that children with WS generally exhibited these behaviors before exposure to sound stimuli, suggesting a relation to anticipatory anxiety. Children with WS also exhibited significantly greater acoustic startle eye blinks, often viewed as an indication of heightened emotional state. Taken together, the current findings confirm the presence of heightened reactivity to sound in WS, behaviors previously investigated using parent report alone. The observed behaviors and their potential relation to anxiety are also discussed.
Author List
Gallo FJ, Klein-Tasman BP, Gaffrey MS, Curran PAuthors
Michael S. Gaffrey PhD Associate Professor in the Pediatrics department at Medical College of WisconsinBonita Klein-Tasman BA,MA,PhD Professor in the Psychology department at University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnxietyChild
Child, Preschool
Humans
Reflex, Startle
Sound
Williams Syndrome
