Steve Bryson, PhD,  science writer—

Adolescents and adults with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) say they struggle with constant hunger and the urge to seek food, according to an interview-based study. Participants experienced difficulties with anxiety, behavioral outbursts, changes in schedule, and schooling, with many trying to distance themselves from the syndrome. They also expressed the…

MRI brain scans of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) patients unexpectedly revealed nerve cells in the cerebellum of the brain activated by food cues that promote appetite, a study demonstrated. The findings suggest that the cerebellum may be a potential target for treating obesity in people with PWS. The study, “…

In a “significant subset” of  children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), obstructive sleep apnea worsened after the start of growth hormone therapy, a study of patients in Australia found. “Our results offer support for the current advice to perform follow-up polysomnography [sleep breathing study] in children with Prader-Willi syndrome after…

An $11.2-million, five-year grant has been awarded by the Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to uncover high-resolution details of the entire human genome. This project should help better understand the genome’s structure and function, as well as provide important clues about the…

The hunger hormone ghrelin, when measured in infancy, may be a biomarker for predicting the early onset of scoliosis — a sideways curvature of the spine that looks like the letter C or S — in children with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a study suggested. Beginning in early infancy,…

Radius Health plans to initiate a Phase 2/3 study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of its investigational therapy RAD011, a lab-made oral cannabidiol therapy to treat excessive appetite, or hyperphagia, in people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). The study, called SCOUT-015, is expected to begin by the…

Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) — a non-invasive brain stimulation technique — altered brainwave patterns in people with Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) in ways consistent with suppressing impulses in response to food, a pilot study in patients reported. These findings…

Growth hormone therapy should be universally available, given to adults as well as children with Prader–Willi syndrome (PWS) and based solely on a genetic PWS diagnosis.  This is the position of the Clinical and Scientific Advisory Board of the…

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (PWSA) in the U.S. has announced its upcoming 36th National Convention,  “Hope’s on the Horizon,” will be moving to an all-new virtual format.  The PWSA will provide patients and families within the…

Intranasal use of the hormone oxytocin for three months had positive effects on social and eating behavior in boys with Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), according to a small clinical trial.  The results suggest intranasal oxytocin also may be an…