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People with Williams syndrome, sometimes called “The Opposite of Autism,” treat strangers as if they were their best friends. They are extremely affectionate, empathic, communicative and sociable – and that’s a problem.
Imagine walking down the street and feeling a overwhelming love and affection for each unknown person he finds.
This is a family experience for people with Williams syndrome (SW), a rare genetic condition that affects approximately 1 in 7,500 individuals.
People with SW, often nicknamed “The opposite of autism“They have a innate desire to hug and make friendship with complete unknown. They are extremely affectionate, empathic, communicative And sociable, and treat everyone they know as their best friends.
But There is a negative side to being so friendly. Individuals affected by this condition Frequently fight to maintain close friendships And they are prone to isolation and loneliness, explains the.
People with SW are also sometimes too open and confident With strangers, not realizing when they are in danger, which makes them vulnerable to abuse and intimidation.
“It is very easy for someone to deceive a person with Williams syndrome and enjoy it, because they are so confident, ”he says Alysson MotriProfessor of Pediatrics and Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California.
“Surrender to anyone without prejudice, What seems like a lovely feature, but at the end of the day there is a reason why the human brain has evolved to be a little suspicious of a new person: it is not known if This person is there to hurt or to loveand they can’t make this distinction, ”explains Motri.
Few people with SW live independently In adulthood, and many suffer from severe anxiety. There are also health problems that accompany the condition, such as cardiovascular disease, developmental delays and learning difficulties.
In the last decade, scientists have learned more about the condition, which is offering a unique opportunity to understand how some of the traits that us have evolved make humans – such as kindness, confidence and kindness.
Humans have 46 chromosomes, organized in 23 pairs. During the development of sperm or egg, there is a process called “recombination“During which where genetic material is replaced among corresponding pairs of chromosomes.
Howeverat SW, the process runs badlyand an entire DNA section of a seven chromosome copy is accidentally eliminated. As a result, people with SW lack a copy of 25-27 genes.
These genes serve various functions. For example, one of them, the Eln, encodes a protein called elastin, which provides flexibility and elasticity to the tissues all over the body.
The lack of elastin causes the artery walls to harde cardiovascular problems For a lifetime in people with Williams syndrome.
Motri believes that the greatest kindness shown by people with SW can be explained by the number of synapses – or connections – In your brains.
In 2016, its team collected stem cells of the discarded milk teeth of children with SW. The cells were then reprogrammed to form neurons capable of forming connections, such as those seen in developing brains.
In a more detailed analysis, the neurons of these laboratory-cultivated mini-brains were remarkably different. “There was more synapses than normal, so neurons were branched and made more contacts, ”says Motri.
In 2016, the team also examined post-mortem samples from people with SW who had donated their brains to science. The same patterns were observed – the neurons of people with SW were more branched and formed more connections with other neurons.
Although Motri and his team have not yet unveiled all the circuits involved, the researcher suggests that in SW, the front cortex form is likely more connections to the brain parts involved in the reward.
“When we remember someone or see Someone we likeour brain Free dopaminewhich creates a good sensation, ”explains Motri.
“I think people with Williams syndrome can have a deregulation in this neurotransmitter. So when they see a new face, they immediately receive a release of dopamine and feel good about it“.
As characteristics such as COnset, kindness and kindness They are so important to human survival, Motri believes that evolution must exert rigorous control over the expression of genes that affect these characteristics.
Humans are a social speciesand our own survival depends on collaboration with each other. We need to be able to trust each other to some extent.
“In evolutionary terms, Balance is quite importantbecause being too friendly is not a good thing, but Not being friendly is not bom“, Says Motri.“ So what the evolution did was adjust the expression of these genesS – Found the exact amount of socialization that we can all tolerate. ”
