Alberto Molano, PhD,  —

Parents and teachers attribute different severity to behavioral problems of children with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS), according to a recent study. Although parents see food-related issues, such as repetitive speech and compulsive behavior as being more severe, teachers report that the impact of such problems on daily activities is higher. The study,…

Individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have difficulty recognizing voices and other sounds, which may contribute to their problems with social interaction, a study found. The study, “A Study of Voice and Non-Voice Processing in Prader-Willi Syndrome,” was published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. People with…

People with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) have difficulty recognizing negative emotions throughout their lives, often confusing sadness with anger, a study reports. In addition, they have trouble understanding the sincere intentions of others, the findings also showed. The study, “Profiles and Trajectories of Impaired Social Cognition in People with…

Millendo Therapeutics presented an overview of its Phase 2b/3 clinical trial testing the long-term safety and efficacy of livoletide — a potential first-in-class treatment to control hyperphagia (excessive hunger) and food-related behaviors in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) — at the 21st European Congress of Endocrinology on May 18–21, 2019,…

A case report suggested that treatment with denosumab (commercial names: Prolia, Xgeva) could be effective for patients with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), osteoporosis, and a history of fractures. The case was reported in the journal Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management, in an article titled “Efficacy of Denosumab Therapy for a…

UConn Health and the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research (FPWR) announced the creation of a centralized biobank to provide researchers worldwide with high-quality, validated stem cells for in-depth studies about the causes of PWS and possible treatments. Stem cells can differentiate into other types of cells, such as brain,…

ConSynance Therapeutics, a biotechnology company that has developed two new candidate medicines for Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), announced that it has joined the PWS Clinical Trial Consortium. The PWS Clinical Trial Consortium was established in 2015 to accelerate clinical trials in PWS by promoting multidisciplinary, pre-competitive, and international collaboration among stakeholders…

Disgusting food scenes failed to activate primitive limbic structures in the brains of people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), but cortical responses ­­­­— where conscious sensations are processed ­­­­— were almost normal, a study reports. The study, “Lack of Response to Disgusting Food in the Hypothalamus and Related Structures in Prader…

Adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) show prematurely aged brains, being on average 8.74 years older than their chronological age, according to a neuroimaging study. This was not associated with body mass index (BMI), use of hormonal or psychotropic medications, severity of repetitive or disruptive behaviors, or intelligence quotient (IQ). The study,…

A six-week remote parent-training intervention for children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) got good acceptability and satisfaction scores from parents, supporting the use of telehealth to manage the social and emotional impairments of children with this rare condition, a study reports. The study, “The PRETEND Program: Evaluating the Feasibility of…