Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD),
schizophrenia, and intellectual disability, are caused by disruption of early brain
development. NDDs represent important public health challenge in modern societies
with prevalence of about 10 to 15% of all births and the tendency of increasing
worldwide. On the other side, treatments of NDDs are focused on symptoms due to
limited understanding of underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Individuals with
the 22q11.2 duplication syndrome (22q11.2dup), caused by heterozygous 22q11.2
microduplication, have an elevated risk of developing NDDs. Literature data revealed
that ASD is detected in 14-25% of patients with 22q11.2dup while schizophrenia is
less common in these patients than in the general population, suggesting that
22q11.2dup might be protective against schizophrenia. We investigated genomic and
clinical findings in cohort of 8 patients with 22q11.2dup. The majority of patients
have 3Mb duplication. Five patients have 22q11.2 microduplication inherited from
their parents. Other CNVs or SNVs are detected in 5 out of 8 patients. Common
medical anomalies in our cohort of patients include developmental delay, facial
dysmorphism, heart malformations, anomalies of the skeletal system, and anomalies
affecting the eye. Characterization of a cohort of patients with 22q11.2dup is
important since 22q11.2dup represents a powerful model to get insights into the
molecular mechanisms underlying NDDs.BOOK OF ABSTRACTS: 8th CONGRESS OF SERBIAN NEUROSCIENCE SOCIETY with international participation 31 May – 2 June 2023. Belgrade, Serbi
