Thalamic reductions in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q) suier from physical and behavioral dysfunctions, including neuroanatomical anomalies, visuo-spatial processing de¢cits, and increased risk for psychopathology. Reduced total brain volume, parietal lobe volume, and cerebellar volumes, enlarged ventricles, and increased basal ganglia volumes have been reported. Since previous literature has related the pulvinar nucleus of the thalamus to visuo-spatial processing, we compared the thalamic volume in children with 22q to typically developing controls. Children with 22q showed a signi¢cant reduction of the thalamus compared with normally developing children, speci¢cally in the posterior portion of the thalamus, including the pulvinar nucleus.These results provide the ¢rst evidence for a potential relationship between posterior thalamic reductions and the characteristic visuo-spatial de¢cits demonstrated in this group. NeuroReport 15:1413^1415 � c 2004 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.