Mood & Interest

Mood and Interest in Angelman Syndrome

• Although individuals with Angelman syndrome show high levels of smiling and laughing behaviour, it is hard to say whether or not this actually reflects the individual feeling happy and to what extent. This is a  hard concept to research due to certain research methods, such as an individual reporting about feelings, being restricted because of challenges with expressive language or reduced insight.  However, research has shown that, in comparison to other genetic syndromes with intellectual disability, individuals with Angelman syndrome show the highest levels of positive affect compared to the six other syndrome groups in one study.
• Around 14% of children and 18% of adults with Angelman syndrome show levels of positive emotion that may be considered ‘excessively high’. In a research study that looked at this, no individuals showed high levels of negative mood, however this is not to say that it does not occur in a few individuals.
• Although research is still ongoing for age-related changes in mood in Angelman syndrome, existing reports seem to suggest that there are no changes in mood with age.
• Interest in Angelman syndrome
  • Individuals with Angelman syndrome are often reported to have a fascination with water and shiny/reflective objects, the prevalence of which is around 14%. Research has also found that individuals with Angelman syndrome show this preference for water-related objects/activities relative to other activities and individuals without Angelman syndrome. This may be related to sensory processing in the syndrome.