The neuropsychology of 22q11 deletion syndrome. A neuropsychiatric study of 100 individuals

The primary objective of this study was to study the impact of ASD/ADHD on general intellectual ability and profile, executive functions and visuo-motor skills in children and adults with 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). A secondary aim was to study if gender, age, heart disease, ASD, ADHD or ASD in combination with ADHD had an impact on general intellectual ability and profile. One hundred consecutively referred individuals aged 1–35 years with 22q11DS were given in-depth neuropsychological assessments. Mean full scale IQ was 71 with a normal distribution around this mean. Higher IQ for females than males, and a negative trend for IQ with higher age were found. Intellectual impairment, as well as visuo-motor dysfunction, was found to be related to 22q11DS per se and not to ASD/ADHD. In the area of executive function, the presence of ASD/ADHD predicted poor planning ability in the children in the study.